Cielo Ladybug
by LovePuppy25
Summary: Life as a superhero has it's pros and cons. Pros: the love of the fans and amazing abilities. Cons: the lying, secret keeping, and endless work. At first, that's all she had to worry about. School, Akumas, crushes, etc. But now? "Wait!...I'm a what!" Now it's School, Akumas, crushes, Famiglias, BABIES? Grown Babies? In which, Marinette is next in line for the Vongola throne.
1. I'm a What!

**Ay-yo~ How is everyone? Good? I hope so! God, I'm giving myself more work than I'm cut out for.**

 **So! I hopped on the Ladybug bandwagon and found the show to be Claw-some~ *gets tomatoes thrown at* Ok! I'll leave the puns to the Purrfessionals…*more tomatoes*..Ok! OK! I'm sorry ;-;.**

 **Summary time :**

"The only thing that's going to kill me before anything, is exhaustion." Life as a superhero has it's pros and cons. Pros being the love of the fans and amazing abilities. Cons being the lying, secret keeping, and endless work. At first, that's all she had to worry about. School, Akumas, crushes, etc. But now? "Wait!...I'm a what?!" Now! It's School, Akumas, crushes, Famiglia and BABIES?! Wait. Grown Babies?! What!? "Can't I get a break?" In which, Marinette is next in line for the Vongola throne.

 **Disclaimer: I Do not own either of these shows or the KHR manga**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: I'm a what?!**

* * *

High up in a pure blue sky was the bright glowing sun. It brought warms and light to the world below it. It fueled the ground and made the dew covered grass twinkle like stars. _Just like his eyes._ There was the chirping of birds filling the air yet they remained unseen. The usually clouds in the sky were nowhere to be found. Sitting on a park bench, were two children. A girl and boy.

The girl had black hair that seemed to shine blue in just the right light. Her eyes were the color of the sky and were focused on the male next to her. A single world to describe him would be, Sunshine. Everything about him screamed a bright sunny day. From his golden waves that shone like the sun to his green eyes like the soft grass surrounding them. Even the smile that was edged onto his face was perfect. The tranquil air gave the illusion that nothing could ever break the peace. With their eyes connected and their hearts locked, they sat in this peace.

"Marinette." the boy spoke. His voice was as smooth as honey and dipped in affection.

Marinette glowed once he called her by name. A lovesick sigh escaped her lips as she smiled and address him back. "Adrien."

Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest and her eyes scanned him. They lingered on his hair and lips while her mind wandered. She wondered how it would to run her hands in his hair. To feel the strands that she had been so familiar with staring at. She was curious as to what his lips would feel like against her own. As well as how they would taste. The thought made her cheeks redden. This boy, Adrien or so fondly known as the Love of Her Life, reached on and gently cupped her cheek. His eyes soften and she could hear the angels sing. His other arm curled around her waist as he pulled her towards him. Loosing herself in his eyes, she let her vision get clouded with her emotions. Her heart was drumming and her mind was reeling. This was it. This was the moment that she had been waiting for her whole life.

"Marinette," his voice was in a whisper. His head leaned towards hers and she followed suit.

"Yes?" She spoke, urging him to continue. They were now only breaths away from each other.

"Marinette, I-"

 _ **BEEP BEEP BEEP**_

A loud noise exited through his lips. Successfully cutting his sentence. Yet the boy acted as if it hadn't occurred. _What. Was. That._ Caught of guard, she pulled back and questioned him.

"W-What did you say?"

"I said, I-"

 _ **BEEP BEEP BEEP**_

Marinette's eyes shot open and she found herself staring at her trapdoor. Color drained from her face in realization. That beautiful scene that seemed to come straight out of a film. Unreal and too perfect. Was just that…unreal. _It was a dream._ The sky looked like her dream. Big and blue with the sun dancing it's rays around. Yet it had large clouds floating by. Sighing, she turned to the noise that woke her from her dream. It was her phone, it sat plugged in, next to her pillow. The screen was glowing and emitting that terrible sound. Without thinking, she reached over an picked it up. Tired eyes scanned the numbers before she dismissed the alarm. She set it down and let her eyes close again. The girl had a moment of peace before the numbers registered in her mind. Her eyes snapped back open.

She shrieked and sprung from her loft bed. "I'm late! LATE!"

She barely had time to think as her body worked on autopilot to get ready. She zipped around the room, jumped and hopped, trying to get her clothes on. She nearly tore her hair out trying to do it so fast. _Why was it choosing to be difficult today!?_

"I tried waking you up but I kept hearing, 'Adrien~'." there was a small, high pitched giggle coming from her right.

"Tikki!" She whined while tugging on her uneven and messy pigtails, "I have no time!"

"Oh alright! Now let me help you with your hair." Tikki spoke before she quickly fixed the poor chosen's hair.

Marinette grabbed her belongings. A backpack and purse. She flew down and out of her attic room. Her father was busy in the kitchen and saw her coming. He pulled out a fresh piece of toast and handed it to her. She grabbed it and quickly took large bites out of it as she ran to the front door.

"Bye Papa!" she didn't look back as she ran out their apartment and down into the bakery.

Her mother was working the register and saw her coming. "Ah! Marinette, wait before you go, I have to tell you that a fam-"

"No time, Maman! I'll see you later!" Not catching her mother's response, she raced out the door and to her school.

It was in cases like these where she was thankful for living right across from the school. Marinette was late quite often in her short school career. Of course with good reason. She was the hero of Paris and being a hero meant that sacrifices were in order. So sleep was naturally sacrificed over everything. But because of the fact that no one could know her secret, she was forced to construct lies-excuses as she would call them. Luckily, she made it in just the nick of time. She slid into her chair right before the teacher could walk in. The teacher, Mlle. Bustier, gave her a fond but exasperated smile before starting the lesson. Most likely having seen her run through the halls to get there in time.

Marinette took her time to catch her breath.

"Well, well. If it isn't Sleeping Beauty. You were almost late _again_!" someone whispered to her.

She responded by playfully rolling her eyes. Alya. Marinette's best friend and one of Ladybug's fans. She ran a blog that she lovingly named the LadyBlog. It kept tabs, updates, and theories on everything Ladybug and Chat Noir. Thankfully, Alya and no one has found out the identity of the masked entity. _I hope it stays that way._

Living a double life, was not as exciting as movies made it out to be. It was tough trying to not only be herself, but save the world and keep the media off her back. Although, she could argue that it was in fact the best thing to happen to her. As Marinette, she was surrounded by people she loved and was able to follow her dreams while still learning along the way. As Ladybug, she was the adored spotted hero who fought beside one of her best friends, Chat Noir. He was an incorrigible flirt that took every opportunity to drop a pun, but she adored him. She wouldn't have anyone else be her partner than him. It was a fact that she wouldn't have even been Ladybug if not for him. And despite the exhaustion that came with the job, It's worth it. It was worth it if she could keep the people and city she loved safe. That didn't stop the fact that it was so tiring and somewhat avoidable. Like if a certain blonde would just act kinder towards her fellow humans.

"It was an accident! I was dreaming." she whispered back. A blush creeping on her face as she thought of the dream.

"Mmhm. And I know about who." Alya teased before chuckling to herself.

 _How could I not dream of him?_ Adrien Agreste. He's was the schools-no Paris's crowned jewel. The most famous and prestigious motel. Handsome, kind, caring, friendly. Just all around good guy. More like the perfect boy. Well, that's not what Marinette believed at first, but then an umbrella in the rain changed her mind. Her eyes instantly turned to her front and landed on a mop of gold hair, Adrien. She felt a pleasant sigh escape her lips. _I could stare at him all- Wait…that sounds too creepy!_

Suddenly, she saw something flicker and gleam in the corner of her eye. Turning her gaze, reluctantly, to the windows she found nothing out of the ordinary. _Nothing. Weird_. She continued to admire her beloved one before seeing a glimmer. She turned back and saw nothing. She stared and internally questioned herself. Maybe it wasn't coming from the window and instead from her classmates? She scanned the row across from her and narrowed her eyes. No one seemed to have anything reflective out. Except for Chloé, who had a mirror on her desk. Brushing it off as just a glare from her mirror she went to look away when she saw something fall from the building across from her school. It twinkled in the light before falling out of view.

 _What was that?_

The bell rang and the teacher dismissed the class. The class pilled out, eager to leave. Marinette packed her stuff up and turned back to the windows across from her. She slid from behind her desk and walked down the short steps. It was probably just something that someone dropped. Like a mirror or a ring. Something that caught the light. Besides, she was in school right now. She had no reason to run out unless an Akuma decided to rage in the city again. So the object was dismissed out of her memory just as her alarm was. However, she couldn't stop a sudden aching feeling in her gut that migrated up to her brain and became a on and off headache. Depending on where she turned it got worse. And while they were getting dressed for PE, it was blaring. Deciding that maybe, it was just one of _those_ days, she left the locker rooms to go ask their teacher if she could see the nurse. A migraine this bad had to mean something.

When she got out, she saw that everyone was standing around. Chloé wasn't dressed, as usual, her face in her phone. Adrien was next to Nino being perfect as usual. But the teacher was suspiciously absent. She sighed and decided to give up. If she left and the teacher came, she would be marked absent and then the record she was trying so hard to fix would crumble _again_. So she stood around and waited for the teacher to appear. After it seemed like everyone was dressed and ready(Minus Chloé), the teacher finally arrived. They were odd.

The teacher wore an obviously expensive suit and a fedora to match. But that wasn't the oddest thing. They lived in Paris after all. Designer suits were not uncommon to see. They had a model in their class for crying out loud. No, the oddest thing was the person's height. They were astronomically short. Like infant size. She had a hard time believing they were the teacher at first. Especially when they spoke.

"Alright kids, Your teacher had to take a sick day today, so I'm your temporary Substitute." his squeaky high voice made it obvious that he was a child. Did the substitute bring their kid to work? Maybe a baby sitter wasn't available.

The class was silent before they started to snicker and laugh. An infant teach PE? It was laughable. She would've joined them if not for the warning signals going off in her head. She didn't know why she felt wary of the child. But she knew that making fun of the kid for an obvious prank would probably spell out a recipe for disaster. Another akumatized child was not something she wanted to deal with. Besides there was something off about him. He had these strange side burns that curled. They were extremely familiar to a figure she once saw in her younger years. She glanced over at Adrien and found he looked more confused than amused.

While she pondered over the similarities, Kim decided to be…Kim again and walked up to the kid. He held in his laughter as he kneeled down in front of the child.

"Hey squirt, are you lost? This isn't really a place for little guys like you." Kim glanced over his shoulder and called back, "No offense Nathanael!" the crowd giggled while the artist rolled his eyes.

Looking back at the kid, Kim reached out and patted his hat. "Maybe you can let us know where your maman is so we can get you back home sa-"

Kim suddenly shouted out in pain and ended up face planting onto the floor. His arm was twisted behind his back and held there by none other than the kid. The laughing suddenly stopped as the crowd went pale.

"It seems I have a volunteer for our first exercise." there was gleam in his eyes that made everyone start to sweat.

 _That look why is it so terrifyingly familiar?_

A fragment of a memory suddenly surfaced. The scene was fuzzy, but she could remember seeing a lot of gold and shiny things. There was a crest that she had known all to well. She had been laying on a fuzzy pink blanket (something she had long gotten rid of) with a black sketchbook in front of her. The pages all had that same glittering crest in the upper corner. Showing just exactly who it was created by. She remembered showing a badly drawn man in a suit off to a tall pair of men. One had brown gravity defying hair and the other unforgettable curly sideburns.

 _"What's that supposed to be?"_ a deep voice had questioned quite rudely.

 _"Reborn!"_ the other scolded him.

 _"It's you!"_ she remembered her younger self cheerfully saying. Blissfully unaware of the insult. _"Since Monsieur Reborn is so cool, I drew him! See the little curls?"_

The brunette had given her wide eyes. _"Since when did you think Reborn was coo-!?"_

 _"I like this kid, she's smarter than you ever were."_ The man with the sideburns, Reborn, smirked with that same gleam in his eyes. _"Maybe we should start training her for the-"_

 _"Reborn!"_

It ended there. But she now knew who this kid reminded her of. Did that man have a child? If so, could this kid be…? _There's no mistaking those sideburns._

"-Any questions?!" no one answered. Marinette suddenly realized that she had been zoning out while the kid was…"teaching".

"No? Okay then, Dupain-cheng!" she suddenly straightened her back and looked down at the "instructor" with wide eyes.

"Yes?" she squeaked.

"You'll be the first one up." that smirk was eerily familiar. It only solidified her theory.

 _It's like he knew I wasn't paying attention!_ She felt a shiver run down her spine as she stepped forward. A part of knew she would be fine. She was Ladybug after all. Though, she was never one to show off in PE. _I'm sure Adrien would be better at this than me. I didn't even know what I'm supposed to do!_ She walked and stood in front of the "teacher" who gave her another unnerving smirk.

"Now all you need to do is take down Monsieur Le Chein Kim here. I'm sure it'll be a walk in the park for you." the last bit of that sentence made her nervous. Why would he say that? Unless…he knew? _No! This…child couldn't know. No one does._

Kim, who was getting up from being used like a test dummy, did not seem to be pleased with his plan. "Oi! No offense Marinette, but she's kind of…eh…small. I don't think that she should go against me. Maybe someone else…like Chloé!"

"Oh! Are you afraid that Marinette might wipe the floor with you? Need I remind you, you just got owned by an Infant?" Alix taunted.

"Can it, Kubdel! I'm just saying someone of my height and weight might be a little too much. I'm just looking out for our class president."

She didn't know why but being underestimated by someone made her want to show off as much as she could. Kim may be an Athlete, but she was a Hero. Feeling a familiar spark inside her, she grinned and cocked her head to the side.

"Don't worry Kim, I'll end this quickly enough so your pride won't be bruised too badly."

A chorus of "OOH"'s filled the room. Kim huffed and dusted his shoulder's off.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

The two stood opposing to one another. They psyched themselves up by doing minor stretches before it started. The crowd shouted out the name's of who they deemed the winner was going to be. She could pinpoint the few who were cheering for her opponent. Chloé, who hated her; Sabrina, who followed Chloé; and Max, who was doing the probability of her winning. Given the fact that she hadn't showed off her skills to the class. She guessed Max had reason to suspect she would be the one going down. _I guess that changes now._

"Alright, the rules are simple. There are no rules. Just immobilize or take down the other person." the infant smirked and brought out a toy green gun.

He aimed it to the sky and shot. She was startled at the fact that it sounded like an actual gun. But wasn't given anytime to think about the reason to that any further. Kim launched at her. Instinctively, Marinette leaped over the athlete and landed in a crouch behind him. She briefly looked over her shoulder at her target before kicking back. She aimed right at the lower middle of his back. The kick added to his already continued momentum sent him down. Marinette pushed herself up and spun on her heel. Quickly, she pressed her knee on his back and twisted his arm behind him. Holding him like that, she grabbed his head and pressed it downward. His cheek rubbed right into the marble floor.

All around her, the crowd jumped to life with cheers and excitement. She smirked with pride as Kim grumbled underneath her. The infant strolled over to them while pulling his hat slightly down. The only thing showing was his grin. Her eyes widened at the striking similarities. She's seen that man do that before. _Like father like son?_

"You'll do well."

She (and apparently Kim, who heard it to) hummed in confusion before the front doors flew open with a bang. Everyone turned to see. Standing there, face red and panting like she had just ran around the city, was their real teacher. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she had been in the rain. Barely breathing, she spoke.

"Sorry….I'm late…There was unbelievable…traffic! Then someone ruined my tires!...then some cop with a lizard stopped me. Anyway.." she stood up straight and staggered over. "I'm here, what's going on?"

Everyone looked back at the substitute. They all collectively gasped when they saw that the child vanished into thin air.

* * *

After the complete nonsense that went down in gym, Marinette didn't think the day could get any weirder than that. It seemed like the universe wanted to prove her wrong.

It was Lunch and Marinette was just enjoying her time watching Adrien from across the courtyard. With a metal lunch box in her lap containing her food, she hadn't touched a single bit. Too entranced by the model.

"You know…you can go over and sit next to him. Have lunch with him." Alya suggested.

She smiled at the great idea and grabbed the box in her lap. Then, she heard the shrill of a harpy.

"Adrikins!"

Her cheeks turned red with anger and jealousy as she saw Chloé flop next to Adrien and Nino. The blonde gave a glare at the DJ and inspiring director before flapping her eyelashes at Adrien. Marinette leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms angrily. Alya gave her a comforting pat on her shoulder.

"There, there. There's always next time."

She sighed, before opening her lunch. Taking a bit into her meal, she saw the front doors open. In walked a pair of men in black suits. Obviously bodyguards going by their build. She wondered who they were here for. Adrien? But he already had a bodyguard. That one man. Maybe his father got more? She looked down at her food when another thought came up. _Maybe they're for Chloé._ She scoffed and continued eating. Suddenly, a shadow was casted over her and she looked up. To her utter surprise, the bodyguards were standing in front of _her_. _What?!_

"Are you Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" one said with a deep and intimidating voice.

Unable to form words, she nodded.

The other cocked it's head and he smiled at her. "We have orders to take you out for Lunch."

"B-But I already…" she looked at her lunch box then at Alya, who's jaw was completely dropped.

"Please come with us." they spoke in unison.

Marinette scanned the others around her and saw that everyone was hushed and looking right at her. Letting out a sigh, she placed her lunch to the side and stood up. The two men instantly flanked her and escorted her to the doors. _What is happening._ She tried not to notice how the kids gathered together and walked in a group behind them. Just far enough to not to be noticed by the two men. Though, she was sure they were well aware of the crowd she gathered. When they opened the front doors, she was greeted by a long white limo. On it's side was a crest that she knew well in her youth. It's name was uttered softly in awe and pure happiness, but was the same that was screamed out by the crowd behind her.

"Vongola!?"

Everyone who had ever been alive knew of this company. They were like the Gabriel's of the…well entire market (minus fashion. She should really ask why that was). Extravagant, expensive, and EVERYWHERE. Though, they were more famous for their technology. In fact, even Adrien has a Vongola manufactured phone! (A fact she knew because of that one time she stole his phone) And it's story is of a noble one. It started out as a small charity in Sicily during a time of hardship. There was only 7 members at the time. They build themselves up into the corporate giant they are today. Though, most of the success can be attributed to the current head. Who not only brought immense profit to their company, but also turned it back it it's Charity roots. Each year, the company is rewarded for it's charitable efforts and it's all thanks to one man in particular.

Marinette was practically buzzing as they lead her to the limo door. As one of them opened the door, she heard a cry of disbelief. She instantly knew who it was from. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Chloé with Adrien. Adrien seemed shocked like everyone else. While Chloé looked a more angry than shocked. Her face was turning red as Marinette was placed inside the Limo. Feeling smug, she gave her a little wave before the door was closed. When it did, she could see the blonde go off behind the tinted windows as they drove away. _Thank god for soundproof doors._

Grinning, she turned her head to see the other person in the car. Her smile brightened before dropping. It was not who she was expecting. Sitting across from her was a man in a black suit with curly sideburns and a green Chameleon on his fedora.

"You don't seem please? And here I went through the trouble to bring the limo." the man said.

"I was expecting Uncle Tsuna." she confessed.

Uncle Tsuna or more commonly known as Sawada Tsunayoshi(or the reverse depending where you are). He was the head of Vongola Enterprises. The famous company/charity. And he was her…well not her uncle. He was her mother's cousin. Making him, to her, her cousin once removed. But he was close to their family. So he felt more like a brother to her mother and by extension an Uncle to her. He had helped her parents when they were trying to get their bakery off the ground. _Though, not too much._ Her mother didn't allow him to use more than 10,000 euros to help them. Something about not depending too much on him. And when her parents were busy or on vacation, he looked after her. Each year, they would go to Italy to see him or vice versa. Though, it's been 4 years since they last went out there. Didn't mean he was completely cut off from their life. He sent presents every year for Christmas and her birthday! But seeing the Vongola Limo, she naturally thought…

 _Of course he wouldn't be here…he's a head of a company! He's probably busy._

"Patience, Dame-Mari."

"I thought I told you not to call me that." she grumbled before adding, "Monsieur Reborn."

Reborn smirked, "No, if I remember correctly, you were so excited when I called you that. Something about being like Dame-Tsuna?"

She blushed in embarrassment. That was right. When she had first heard the man across from her call her "Uncle" that. Too excited to care, she declared that she wanted to be called that too. Reborn had no issue with that, but her Uncle did. She didn't understand why until he told her the true meaning behind the word "Dame" ever since, she despised the nickname "Dame-Mari". But it had been too late. The damage was done.

"That was years ago! Besides, where's Uncle?"

"Dame-Tsuna is in a meeting right now with another boss."

"Another company head? Who?"

"Yeah, he's making a deal with them. Afterwards, he wanted to surprise your family with a visit since he was in the area."

"So, you picked me up at lunch even though I live right over there?" she pointed out at her house that they conveniently passed. "All to spoil Uncle's surprise?"

"Yes and no."

 _Then why did he pick me up?_

"I did it to tell you something important. I'm sure your aware of the lack of a successor to Vongola."

"Yeah, but couldn't he just give it to his vice president?" _it's 20XX after all._

"Vongola doesn't work that way." The man leaned back in his seat as the pet ran around the rim of his hat. "It was pathetic of your Uncle to hide the truth from you. You were bound to get involved one day. But the truth is Vongola isn't just a Company."

"Yeah…it's a charity. I kno-Ow!" she cradled her head. The man had just suddenly pulled a green fan out of nowhere and wacked her.

"Let me finish. It's not just a Company, it's a Mafia. The strongest in fact."

"You're joking." she didn't seemed pleased with this stunt he was trying to pull. Mafia? No way. Seriously, he needed to tell her why he picked her up already. She needed to get back to her daily Adrien watching.

"It's no joke. Vongola is a Mafia Famiglia and you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are next in line to be the Boss. Vongola Undicesimo or in your case Undicesima."

The lack of humor on his face made it seem to real. She shook her head. "No, you're joking! Vongola isn't a mafia! This is just some sick joke and I'm tired of hearing it! Just take me back to school or better yet drop me off here if your going to make jokes like that."

 _Vongola can't be a mafia. Because that would make Tsuna…a criminal. A murder. A…everything bad!_

She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. The designer turned her head away and out the window where she spotted people running and screaming. Or at least they looked like they could be screaming from the facial expressions they were making.

"I guess that's your cue, Ladybug."

She whipped her head towards him. Her eyes were blown wide. Words rushed out her mouth as she struggled over them. "H-How...what? Why-wait."

"We'll speak later after you save the day."

"But-!" suddenly a tiny red sprite flew from her purse.

Tikki, her kwami, hovered in front of her in plain view of Reborn. "We don't have time! Let's go!"

She sighed before looking back over to Reborn. He was staring at Tikki with interest. Almost like a scientist trying to understand how something works. Or more accurately, like he wanted to dissect her. _Something tells me that this won't be a regular akuma fight._

* * *

 **Ciao-su~**

 _ **Edited 1-24-18**_


	2. Crowned Ace

**Disclaimer: I do not own either of these shows or the KHR manga!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Crowned Ace**

* * *

Marinette, now Ladybug, zipped threw the skies of Paris. She followed the sounds of the people screams. She tried not to think about figuring out how Reborn knew that she was Ladybug. She had a city to save first. It didn't take long for her to get to the scene. There she spotted her partner dueling it out with the villain of the day. She called out to Chat Noir, trying to get his attention. She assumed the cat heard her because he perked up and smirked her way.

"Ah! My lady! How nice of mew to join us!" he winked at me before dodging an attack. _Was that a poker card?_

She rolled her eyes at his antics, "Have you found the akuma?"

"I'm pretty sure that it's in the bracelet." he pointed towards the small red bracelet that rested on the wrist of the Akuma.

The akuma was _decked_ out in a black and white suit. The undershirt was black while the jacket was a angel white. The jacket, however, was long like a musicians. The ends came all the way down and curled around to the front of the Akuma's thighs. She wore a large top hat with a black ribbon around it's base. On the hat, were all the suits of a playing card. The hat covered the top of long black hair that seemed to flow in the wind, The bracelet was pretty much the only color on them. The akuma growled at them before yelling out.

"I am Crowned Ace, The _**greatest**_ Poker player to have ever lived! I won't let some cheater steal my title!" the akuma, Crowned Ace, proceed to throw it's trusty cards at the duo.

While Chat leaped to the left, Ladybug sprung to the right. Just barely dodging a multitude of razor sharp cards. She received a slice on her leg, however, thanks to the tough material of her suit, it barely left a scratch. The akuma rose it's arm up. In it's hand was 5 playing cards. An ace of hearts, 9 of spades, a- Suddenly, the cards were thrown at her once again. She curled and rolled forward, successfully ducking under the flying cards. She stood back up and decided to bring out her lucky charm. She wanted this end, so she can get back and find out how Reborn knew her secret.

"Lucky Charm!" she yelled out.

The yo-yo was tossed into the air. White and red light collected around the spinning object before it faded out and dropped a pair of scissors in her waiting hand. _What am I going to do with this?_ She watched the world flash to gray and looked for the places/things that would highlight in the colorless world. She saw the light pole, scissors, the jacket, and bracelet flash. Then everything went back to normal.

"You gotta plan, Ladybug? 'Cause I don't think we can _afford_ to _deal_ with this akuma." Chat smirked, obviously proud of his puns.

She pouted at Chat before rolling her eyes fondly, "I need you to cover me!"

He nodded, "Got it!"

Chat leapt back at Crowned Ace and taunted the poor thing, trying to buy Ladybug time to think of a plan that would surely safe them all.

"Hey! I think it's time you _folded_ your cards and _called_ it a day?"

"NEVER!" the akuma bellowed out and threw a flurry of cards at the punny cat.

Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and threw it at the lamp post. She ran to the side, jumped, and used to momentum to swing around the post and into the distracted akuma's back. Ladybug prepared to double kick the akuma's back. Only for it to back fire on her. Crowned Ace suddenly whipped around, a purple butterfly symbol glowed over their eyes. Ladybug couldn't stop the momentum. She tried swerving to the side, but to no avail. The akuma grabbed her ankles, in a tight iron grip, then she flung her into the nearest building. The lucky charm left her grip and fell to the ground, forgotten. Her yo-yo unraveled from the pole and flew with her.

The heroine crashed into a glass window and landed hard against a concrete wall. Her spine trembled a bit and she gasped. Soldiering through the pain, she took a look at her surroundings. It seemed that she had landed in a restaurant. There were tables and booths. The chairs were on the tables, so she assumed that the place was closed. Thankfully. She heard Chat shout out to her. Raising, painfully slow, her back ached and cracked, causing a spike of pain run up and down her spine. She cried out and threw her hand over her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she sat herself up, wincing and stopping as the pain increased. She focused her gaze out the window and at the akuma. In just the short time, they already had Chat pinned into the concrete, which now had a huge indent along with horrid cracks and chunks everywhere.

 _Chat! I have to-_ She willed her body to move forward.

Ladybug flicked her wrist and her yo-yo rested in her hand. Taking steps forward, she threw the item. It wrapped around the villain's staff. The villain stopped and turned her way. She glared, but it was short lived. Ladybug gave her partner enough time to push back. Ace lost her balance and Ladybug gave a strong tug. She flew towards Ace. Turning her body midair, Ladybug delivered a late kick to Crowned Ace. Quickly, she leaped away from the angered poker player. Bluebell eyes turned away from the fight to assess her partner.

"Are you alright Chat?"

The blonde cat gave her a smile and wink. "I am now that you're here."

She sighed in relief before giving him a fond smile. The moment was short lived as a furious shout brought them back to the fight. Crowned Ace had a deadly glare on her face that was framed by Hawkmoth's signature. She rose her hand. In it was a white and black cane. It looked like it was made up of poker chips. On top of it sat a fan of cards. Each represented the four suits. Ace threw out two cards at them. Instantly, they went on the defensive. However, the cards stayed suspended in the hair. Ace swung her cane down and called out.

"Royal Flush!"

The cards were engulfed in light. When it was gone, in their place were two giant cards. A Joker and King. The king had a large sword while the Joker didn't seem to have any type of weapon. The way they looked reminded her of the Alice and Wonderland movies. Large Cards with arms, legs, and a head.

"How unfair. 3 against 2?" Chat clicked his tongue as if he was scolding Ace.

The villain ignored him and commanded her soldiers. "Capture their miraculous! By Any means necessary!"

Instantly, the pair leaped at them. The Joker flew towards her while the King battled Chat. Ladybug felt like she had a bad draw.

"I already have one jokester to deal with, I don't need two!"

She wrapped her yo-yo string around the joker and pulled. She expected him to get crushed. But, to her surprise, he stayed strong. The joker jumped in the air and twisted in the air. Successfully winding her yo-yo (and by extension, her) up. She was twirled in the air before being let to fly. Thankfully, having been at this business for a while, she was able to catch herself. Hanging literally by a string, Ladybug pulled herself onto a nearby rooftop. She turned back to the floating card. Instead of a joker, it was a now a Queen of Spades. In her hand was a golden spear with a black spade at the top.

Ace flew up next to her and cackled. "The joker can be anything I want it to be. It's a wild card after all!"

Suddenly, she heard Chat cry out in pain again. _I need to end this!_

 _ **BEEP!**_

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. How could she forget that she used up her power? Her eyes raked the scene as she spotted the lucky charm. It was next to Chat. Who was struggling against the King. If she could reach it-or have Chat get it, then…

 _ **BEEP!**_

 _I'm running out of time!_

"Chat!" she gained his attention. "The lucky charm!"

There was a sudden whooshing sound and the bug instinctively dodged out the way. In her place was the Queen's spear. Ladybug turned back to the villain and saw a wicked grin on her face. Her hand was extended out to her. She saw her eyes flicked downward and followed. She gasped as she saw she was standing on a blank card. _When!?_ She thought back to when the Joker threw her and then the Queen's spear. _It was set up!_

"I always wanted a lucky patterned card in my collection." Ace giggled before shouting out. "CALL!"

Panic bloomed in her eyes as she turned to her partner. Their eyes met. Ladybug grimaced and threw her hand out. _I won't be able to fight this one. It's up to you Chat!_ She threw her yo-yo as the Card snapped up and encased her. When it would flatten out again, the world would see a flat cartoon rendering of the Ladybug Heroine. However, what no one would know the answer to was the strange baby that was found on top her shoulder.

* * *

Fighting with Ladybug is always a pleasure, for Chat Noir. Every akuma attack gave him a rush. He felt some sort of guilty pleasure from his heroic job. This shouldn't be the case, but he couldn't help it. The thrill of chasing down the bad guy and with the love of his life, who wouldn't get excited? Speaking of his lady. His lovely, smart, beautiful Ladybug. She made him complete. He couldn't help but being drawn toward her. Like something was calling to him. Beckoning him to be by her side. To do anything for her. No matter what. He felt warmth near her. Like a bright fire that he sat by with his mother during the winter. Sure, she didn't take his love seriously, but he was sure to make her come around one of these days. That's what happened in the Animes after all!

He could go on thinking about her, but there was an card to fight. He grunted as he dodged a large swing of the King's sword.

"Don't you know we got rid of Kings years ago?!" he taunted. "And you're not gonna like the way we did it!"

The card gave him no response and continued it's assault. The two went back and forth, but neither could scratch the other. The closest one to land a hit was the card. It swung it's mighty blade and nearly decapitated the cat. Instead it took of a sliver of blonde hair. Chat-or Adrien-cried out as if he was in pain. He looked at his fallen hair as if he just lost a limb. He knew how much his father valued his appearance. If he found out that his hair got cut without his consent. A shiver ran down his spine as he was forced to not think about it.

"Chat!" he heard a siren sing. He looked and saw his Lady standing on a rooftop. "The lucky charm!"

He turned his head and saw that the charm was next to him. Quickly, he scurried away from the King's sword and snatched them up in his claws. Deciding not to leave without one last whip, he glanced over at the king and said,

"I grow tired of this poor game of Cat and mouse. Till morrow, your majesty!" He leaped up onto a fire escape and used it to try to get to Ladybug. If he could get the charm to her, then she would make a plan and they would end this.

"CALL!"

He snapped his head up and his eyes connected with Ladybug's. Time slowed as he watched her throw her yo-yo out to him. A white card curled up and encased her. In a flash, she was gone. Fear flooded his features and he called out to her,

"Ladybug!" Chat felt his blood boil. He swiftly turned to the akuma and growled. "You'll pay for that!"

His slit pupils shrunk in anger as he propelled himself at Crowned Ace. His claws were at the ready. However, a Queen of Spades slid in his way and became shredded paper instead. The cat landed on an opposite roof before twisting around to face the poker queen. She seemed upset that he had ruined her card. She snapped her fingers and the King flew to her side before rushing at him. Chat leaped out and landing on the back of the king and used him like a platform. This time he came face-to-face with Ace.

They crashed into the ground. Unknown to him the yo-yo had rolled down with them. The duo engaged in what looked to be a sword fight despite the lack of swords.

Blocking a direct attack, Chat pushed her away and leapt at her, his baton hitting her staff with every swing. Small sparks flew as the strikes became faster and harder. She kept up surprisingly well, blocking every shot. After a moment, they became locked in a stalemate. He pushed on her staff, while she pushed on his baton. They were getting no where, until Crowned Ace grinned and cackled.

"It's over, Kitty cat!" her eyes flickered behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened. How could he have forgotten about the King? Standing behind him with his weapon raised was the card. In this position, there was no way out. They cornered him.

 _I…failed. I'm sorry Ladybug!  
_

 **BANG**

* * *

When Ladybug opened her eyes again, she saw a floating sprite hovering above her. She gasped and quickly sat up. A mistake she painfully discovered. Her spine cried out as her ribs trembled. She chose to lay back down.

"What-?"

"We got trapped inside the Akuma's card." Tikki explained.

"Card?"

Suddenly the memories flooded her. Her eyes widened. "Chat! He's out there alone! I need to-" she tried to get up again, but her back creaked as she tried to move. She couldn't let the pain stop her. _I have to…go help him!_ Marinette tried picking herself up from the floor. She stood for a moment, when her knees buckled under her making her fall back again.

"Don't push yourself, Marinette!"

"I have to! The akuma is still out there and Chat's facing it alone!"

"But you threw your yo-yo to him! I'm sure he'll know what to do!"

Marinette shook her head. There was still something she had to do. She couldn't just tap out and wait for him to fix everything. She wasn't even sure if had any experience with a yo-yo! Hell, she didn't when they started.

 _God Damnit!_

"Tikki, did you eat the cookies in my purse?"

"Yes and-Wait you're not thinking about-"

"Tikki! Transform me!"

The sprite was given little time to reason with her. Marinette felt the power wash over her and pushed herself up. The suit would only get her so far. She couldn't overdo it. Ladybug turned her eyes up and saw a cut out silhouette above her. Was this the face of the card? She could see the sky above her and-

"Chat!"

She watched him jump at the Villain and together they went out of view. _I need to get back out there. I have to do something!_

Suddenly there was a click. "Save him with your dying will." a voice squeak out to her left.

Turning her head down towards the source, she found herself staring down the barrel of a green gun. Her mind didn't have time to connect where she had seen it before when her life flashed before her eyes.

 **BANG**

Time seemed to stop. Her eyes were wide as she processed the moment. She had been shot. _She had been SHOT!_ The last thing she could think was the intense regret she felt burning threw her system. It was like a fire was stirring underneath her skin. Like something had finally clicked on. Her blood was rushing, probably to the spot of the gun shot, the logic in her brain concluded. Her head fell onto the blank ground underneath her. Her eyes were locked on the sky above her. The only thing on her mind was her dear partner. Regretting leaving him out there. The regret grew stronger as she grew weaker.

 _I'm dying._

 _Why?_

 _I regret…_

 _I regret not being able to save him._

* * *

There was a loud shock that vibrated the air around them. Followed by a tearing of paper and a shout. The three turned towards the source and gasped.

Chat's eyes widened at the sight. Standing there was Ladybug. Her eyes were overshadowed by her bangs. In her hand was her yo-yo. The thing that made his head spin widely was the bright orange flame that rested on her forehead. It burned wildly. It was unnatural! _My lady…she's…SHE'S ON FIRE!_ Ladybug lifted her head and the look on her face made Chat wince. Never has he seen her face burn with that much intense anger. Her irises seemed to be shrunk down. They looked to have a fire in them as well. Her eyebrows were sharply pointed inward.

"I Will Defeat You And Save Chat Noir With My DYING WILL!" Ladybug yelled out as the flame on her head intensified.

 _Dying Will? What in the world?_

Crowned Ace just laughed, "Oh? Then what are you waiting for! Fight me!"

Ladybug flew like a bullet at the Akuma. She collided with her and together they rammed right into a building. Chat let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and leaped away from King. He wanted to watch he lady, but he needed to deal with this card first. The two engaged before coming to a stalemate. Hearing a cry of pain, Chat feared the worst. So, he swiftly knocked the card off it's feet and ran a claw through it. The paper turned purple before shriving up and exploding.

Chat sighed and looked over at the other battle that was taking place. He watched as Ladybug wrestled with Crowned Ace. Usually she would've used her yo-yo, since she was more of the long range type of fighter in their duo, but Ladybug just threw punches and kicks at the akuma. Which were being blocked. Chat couldn't stop staring at the fire on her head. _Her head…was on fire!_ His mind screamed out, trying to process that it was real and not fake.

 _Just how in the-_

"Ciaossu~!" a squeaky voice rang out causing him to nearly jump.

Chat looked over and saw the substitute teacher on his shoulder. _How did he get on me without me noticing?!_

"Hey! Tt's much too dangerous for civilian ike you!" he went to grab the child but was caught off guard.

The kid jumped up and round-house kicked the back of his head into the ground. He fell face first into the cement. He, shakenly, lifted his head up, but he face meet the ground again when he felt the "teacher" land on his head.

"It seems I might have to train 2 Dames this time." the baby squeaked out.

 _What? Train? Dame? This…this…infant! Makes no sense!_ His mind screamed at him. He heard the loud booming sounds of the fight between Ladybug and Crowned Ace. He wanted to jump in, but Ladybug would kill him if she knew he left a child alone, in the middle of a battlefield. Luckily, His head was liberated when the kid jumped off. He looked up and saw the baby standing in front of him. Hands in his pocket and a lizard on his hat. _A lizard? Is that what that is?_ The mysterious child stared at him, unblinking, before he smirked.

"I see, you'll be useful for the Famiglia."

 _What? Famiglia? What does that mean?_

"It means Family in Italian."

 _How did he-_

"You're just too easy to read."

Chat gaped at the boy, shocked to say the least. Was he that easy to read? Or did this baby have mind reading powers? If miraculous exist than what's stopping mind reading from existing?

"You truly are a Dame, Dame-Adrien."

Adrien never thought his throat would make such a strangled noise as it did. His eyes dilated in fear and disbelief, before he tried to blink it away.

"A-A-Adrien? Who is that!? I'm Chat Noir! Silly kid! Haha." he stuttered. Trying to sound like he hadn't just gotten his identity figured out by a toddler.

 _"Great kid, that was the stupidest responds ever."_ he heard could practically hear Plagg say.

The kid's smirk widen before he turned away from him and looked at the battle between Crowned Ace and Ladybug. This battle can only be described as aggressive. _Very Agreste-ive_. Adrien received a swift kick after that thought. Moving on, Ladybug was fierce! She was on fire! Literally and metaphorically. The bug and akuma were locked in an intense showdown. Neither showed any signs of giving up. Crowned Ace held up her staff to block Ladybug's flying kick. The moment her foot connected, the staff broke in half. The now loose chips scattered. The momentum that Ladybug had stayed and she kept going forward. Kicking Crowned Ace's face in. The akuma fell on her back on the concrete floor, next to the lucky charm. Ladybug jumped onto the fallen akuma. She straddled and kept her down as Crowned Ace struggled. Grabbing her wrist with the bracelet, Ladybug picked up the scissors and snapped the woven bracelet in half.

"No!" Crowned Ace cried out.

The black-purple hued butterfly fluttered out. Ladybug hopped off the defeated akuma, brought her yo-yo out, and aggressively caught the butterfly. Chat noticed, when she released the bug, the odd color of the now purified butterfly. Normally, when she purified an akuma, it turned an angel white, but now it was a stained a fiery orange.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

With that she threw the scissors in the air and swarms of ladybugs flew around, changes things back to what they once were. Chat saw a swarm cover Ladybug as well before his vision was blocked by ladybugs. There was only one thought he had on his mind.

 _That was one fiery battle._

* * *

Marinette blinked her eyes. Looking around she saw, that see was standing in the street. She looked behind her and saw a platinum blond girl sitting on her knees looking just as confused as she was feeling. Ladybug noticed the red bracelet that was around the younger girl's wrist and noted that she was the akumatized victim, Crowned Ace.

 _So the akuma was purified? But I don't remember purifying it. The last thing I remembered was being shot, feeling regret for not being able to save Chat- Chat!_

"Chat?!"

"Don't worry My lady! I'm right here." came an familiar flirty voice.

She looked to her left and saw Chat. Standing tall with his tail flicking back and forth behind him. He wore a proud smirk on his face.

"Chat!" she ran to him and hugged him. "Are you ok?"

Unknown to her, her sudden embrace made Chat's face turn beet red. He seemed to be shocked and awed. "Y-Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine. You're Lucky Charm fixed everything like usual. The real question is are _you_ ok?" he asked, worry flooding his features.

Now that she thought about it. She felt fine. The pain she felt in her back was magically gone. Thanks to the lucky charm. She nodded her head, "I'm ok."

"Are you sure, because I don't mean to alarm you but," he hesitated, "you were on fire."

… _What?_

"What? Is this another attempt?" she rose an eyebrow and smirked at him, "if so, then you went from bad to completely awful."

"Haha! You mean claw-ful?" he joked.

"Utterly terrible."

"Seriously, you were on fire. Like literally on fire. There were flames on your forehead." he became serious.

 _On fire? But how? I made no contact with any fire. The only thing I made any contact with-with my forehead-was a bullet…WAIT I SHOULD BE DEAD!_ It was true. By all logic, she should be dead. A bullet to the head is not something someone survives from often. But how was she still alive and was able to end the battle with no memory of doing it at all.

 **BEEP BEEP**

The sound of her earrings rang out. In reaction, her hand flew to her earrings and she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Ladybug gazed up at her partner and saw his expression. His ears had flatten and he looked sad. It made her heart hurt, but she had to remind herself that it was not the time to reveal themselves yet _. Once Hawkmoth is defeated…_

"That's my cue. Listen, I don't understand what you mean by fire, but I assure you I'm fine."

She brought her yo-yo from her waist and threw it in the distance. She waited for it to latch around something. The heroine looked back at her partner and gave him a smile. "I'll see you at patrol, okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. Be careful, My Lady."

Ladybug nodded and pulled on her string. The yo-yo pulled her away. She soared through the air. Her mind searching for the missing pieces of the battle. Yet she found not a single trace. She wished she could understand what her partner was talking about. For now, she decided to start with the first problem that appeared.

Monsieur Reborn.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this! See you in the next chapter~**

 **Ciao-su~**

 _ **Edited 1-29-18**_


	3. Explanation Not Included

**Okay, so** **Those of you who have followed this story since it was first published** **: I posted an Author note a while ago and started on the process of fixing this story. When I got the 1st chapter done, I decided to post it. Looking back, Maybe I should've kept it up longer. But I kept you all waiting for a while. Soo, I took down all the chapters and I'm slowing putting the new one's up. Sorry for any Inconvenience. Those who didn't read my Author Note the basis of it was:**

 **I'm _unhappy_ with the story, but  not ready to give it up. So I'm rewriting it. **

**Now that, that is out of the way. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry if Marinette is OOC, I tried my best to give her a more "realistic" reaction to being told your favorite family member is actually a mafia boss.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug nor KHR…;-;**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Explanation Not Included**

* * *

Conveniently, the limo was right in front of the alley she had de-transformed in. When she jumped in, she made sure to have questions prepared. Specifically how he knew she was ladybug. Staring at the man across from her, she crossed her arms and portrayed a no nonsense type of atmosphere.

Getting answers from Reborn was no easy feat, Marinette realized. He didn't directly answer anything. She felt that he spoke to her in riddles or something of he sort It was frustrating to say the least. She briefly wondered, if this was how police officers felt when the suspect wouldn't answer anything they said. _Maybe he'll call a lawyer. Now wouldn't that be something?_

"Ok…I'll ask again…How did you know I was Ladybug?" she asked for what seemed to be the fifth time that night.

Reborn was silent for a moment and she was prepared to throw something. When he finally spoke up. "Vongola has access to things that would otherwise remain secret, Dame-Mari." the man smirked, petting his chameleon.

 _Finally a new answer!_ She was tired of him either ignoring her or just saying 'it was obvious'. This, however, worried her. Who else knew? Why hadn't they said anything yet? _Do they benefit from us being around?_

"Relax. You know as well as I do that Dame-Uncle of yours would never spread the secret around." he reassured her.

She was never going to get used to his ability to read her thoughts. Despite what he claimed, he could in fact read minds. There is just no way that someone could guess all the things she had been thinking with a single glance at her face. Unless….was she that open about her emotions? Suddenly, she felt a tiny weight on her shoulder and saw Tikki sitting there. The kwami's big eyes were sad somehow. Did something happen to cause her such grief? Is she getting sick? _Do Kwami's even get sick?_

"It's ok Marinette. Me and The Vongola go way back."

"You do?"

The kwami gave her a nod. "All they way back to the very first boss."

"Then is it really-?"

She received a solemn nod. Suddenly, it felt as though her whole world crumbled around her. Her "Uncle" was a mafia boss. A whole half of her family she _thought_ she knew turned out to be one BIG lie. All those times she went to Italy. All those times he claimed to be stuck in meetings with other company heads. He was actually meeting with the largest underworld Dons? And now, because of unforeseen circumstances, Reborn-No Tsuna wanted _her_ to be the new Boss? This went against the very thing she stood for. She was a _hero!_ She stood up for justice. She saved her people, her city in ways the Law could not. She was a superhero! And now…they wanted her to be the head of a Mafia?!

"Then my answer is final. No, I'm not going to become a Mafia don!" she glared Reborn down. All the while her heart shattered. That perfect image of her family crumbled. She thought with despair how her mother would react. Did she know? _What if she does?_

"You sound just like Dame-Tsuna when he found out he was going to be Decimo." Reborn smirked fondly.

"Wait…so uncle Tsuna didn't want to be…Desie…Desimo?" _If he refused it, then why did he become it?_

"Decimo," Reborn corrected, "You need to learn Italian, first thing."

"No, what I need is to get back to school. Tell Uncle Sawada not to stop by." she spoke coldly as the car came to stop in front of her school. She popped the door open. "He won't be welcomed. Not by me."

A dark shadow was cased over Reborn's eyes. His smirk was long gone. "You can't run from what you're meant to become, Marinette."

She ignored him as she slipped out the car. "Thanks for the ride."

* * *

Holding her stuff cat pillow to her chest, Marinette pondered on her bed about her day. When she had arrived back from her trip, Everyone who knew her wanted to ask questions. What connection did she have to Vongola? Was the common question directed at her. She choose not to reveal that she had family ties to the head. Instead, she lied and said that her bakery did them a favor. Some of them believed it. Other's (Chloé) didn't. But she didn't let that get to her.

She turned her head to her kwami. The red sprite was busy chowing down a plate of cookies. Feeling brave, she decided to question her.

"Tikki," she gained her attention. "How exactly do you know the Vongola?"

The kwami stopped and looked up at her. "I knew Primo, that means first, he was the Chat Noir to my Chosen."

"So he was a hero? Then why…why did he create a Mafia?"

"Vongola didn't start out like that. It was a vigilante group before it was a Mafia. Primo helped fight crime syndicates before he created the group. He realized that having only two people fight crime wouldn't be enough. So he created Vongola. I remember that he had asked Ladybug to join him but she couldn't. Her time in Italy was up and she had to return home. That was the first time I had interacted with the Family. It wasn't until Ottavo that I saw them again."

"Ottavo?"

"Her name was Daniela. She was the only female boss…well until you. She ended up giving up being Ladybug. I barely remember the reason. Something about paperwork and children. So I assumed that work as the Vongola Boss and being a mother got in the way of her being ladybug." Tikki explained.

"Well, then I made the right decision. No matter what, Being Ladybug is way too important than becoming a Mafia don. Other than the fact that it's….I don't know…a criminal position!" she huffed.

Tikki sighed and floated up. "What do you think of your Uncle now that all this has come to life?"

"A liar." she declared. "All my life, I known him to be nervous yet proud, easily spooked but "scary" when the situation called for it, and not judgmental. So…I wonder, was it all an act to keep me from knowing?" she curled her legs closer to her as her eyes became down cased.

"Would you have preferred it if you knew before?"

"I-" she hesitated. Would her feelings still be the same? Maybe if she had known then it could've been different. "I don't know."

"You need time to process. But, I don't think shutting him out would be the best course of action. You should talk. Good Communication can prevent many things." the wise kwami told her.

"What's there to say? He's a Mafia boss." she grumbled and threw her pillow to the side.

The heroine climb down the latter and stumbled over to her latch. She needed a glass of water before resting. _And to get away from this conversation._ She opened it and slowly walked down the stairs. However, she stopped when she heard a set of voices.

"I can't believe you were out here!" she heard her mother speak.

"It's great to see you Tsunayoshi." her father spoke. His tone making it clear that he was smiling.

"I should get Marinette! Oh! She'll be so thrilled to see you!" a scrapping of chairs was heard before it all stopped.

"No, I don't think she would like to see me right now." she recognized that sad tone in her "Uncle's" voice. Her eyes adverted as she carefully climbed back up to her room. She sat on the trapdoor's edge and listened in.

"Why not?" her father questioned.

"She's getting older and plus she's probably sleeping." Tsuna lied.

"Nonsense! That girl is up later than an a bat." her mother declared.

"I wouldn't like to bother her. Besides, I won't be here long. I'll be flying back around midnight."

"That's too soon!" Her mother protested. "You should stay here for the night! You can afford to miss a fight." her mother casually reminded him.

"No, I have business to attend to that cannot be missed."

Marinette could feel her Kwami float up by her shoulder. She looked over at her and came face-to-face with her big eyes. Those wise, immortal windows told her to go down there and talk to him. Communication _is_ key. Besides, he still was her family even if she didn't approve of his career choice. With a sigh, she stood up and walked down the steps.

Instantly her mother saw her. "Marinette! Guess who's here!"

She turned around to look at the kitchen. Sitting at her table was him. Her famous, criminal Uncle. He wore a black, pin-stripped suit with a fiery orange dress shirt underneath it. He wore a black tie that had that familiar golden pin in it. A crest of Vongola. His lovely cape was draped on the back of their chair. His hair was as crazy as ever. And he looked tired.

When their eyes connected, she could see how upset and disappointed he felt. It wasn't directed towards her, but aimed at himself. _Reborn told him what I said…_ She admits that she had been a little too cold. She just didn't take Liars very well. She schooled a smile on her face and walked over.

"Uncle Tsuna! When did you get here?" she already know, but they had an audience.

"Earlier in the day. When you were at school. I was in a meeting so, I got here late." he confessed.

She watched him stand up and gather his cloak. Her mother and father seemed alarmed. Her short mother grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Already? But we haven't even had dinner yet. Please won't you stay? Just for Dinner?"

"Yeah! It's been years. We missed you! Stay a little longer!" her father joined in.

Her parents looked her way. Expecting her to say something. Marinette hesitated. A criminal was in her house. A mafia boss was standing next to her parents. But…that man was her flesh and blood. There were so many memories that she created with him. To throw it all away because she found out what he _really_ did would be unfair to the connection she shared. So, with Tikki's advice ringing between her ears, she smiled and added her own bit.

"Stay! We haven't seen you in 4 years! I think you owe us an explanation Uncle!"

 _In more ways than one._

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter is shorter than the others, but I'll make up for it.**

 **Ciao-su~**

 _ **Edited: 1-31-18**_


	4. Bloodlines

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR nor Miraculous Ladybug**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Bloodlines**

* * *

Marinette and her family sat around the table chatting back and forth. Her father's awful puns were flown across the room more than once. No matter how cheesy they were, it still managed to bring a smile to the rest of them and a groan from her. Various topics were discussed. How Vongola was doing? How far has she gotten in achieving her dream? How school was? Things about her friends and etc. It was fun to catch up, but the heroine was more focused on getting her parents away so she could _talk_ to her Uncle.

The designer chuckled at a joke before deciding to make her move. "Hey, Uncle Tsuna hasn't seen my portfolio that I've been working on. Can I go show him?"

Her mother visibly brightened before nodding. "That would be wonderful! Oh, Tsuna. You must see how far she's come, really. From little sketches to fully flesh out works of pure art! You should've seen the hat she made for that Agreste Boy-"

"Maman!" she blushed.

Her mother placed a hand over her mouth and simply giggled. Marinette huffed and gave her a fond smile before slipping from her seat. With a chuckle, the mafia boss followed suit. Politely, Marinette directed him towards her room. Letting him walk in front of her, she went to follow when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked over and saw her mother with a strange expression.

"Dear…did you and Tsuna get into a disagreement or anything the last time you saw him?" she asked in a low voice.

Marinette felt herself tense. "N-no." she lied.

Her short mother only looked at her. She could tell that the woman knew she was lying. Yet she didn't call her out. Odd.

"Well," she suddenly spoke, "Even if something seems to be evil, just know that there are good in those places." she cryptically stated.

She rose an eyebrow in confusion at that before she was released. Her mother's smile returned and she waved her away.

"Don't keep your "Uncle" waiting." With that the woman turned away and went back into the kitchen.

The teen stood there for a minute before turning away. Mothers were always so dang cryptic. Couldn't they just spell out their "lessons" like other people? She sighed and waltzed up to her room. When inside, Tsuna instantly looked over at her with a fond smile on his face.

"You still like the color Pink?"

She blushed lightly, "Of course. I don't understand how some people hate it. It's not a bad color at all."

He said nothing. Instead, he laughed in good nature. But it was short lived. They stood in a moment of silence for a while. Tension curled around in the air. Marinette, bravely, decided to be the first one to break it.

"Let's talk on the Balcony. Knowing my family, they would eavesdrop on us." he simply nodded.

Marinette directed him up her balcony. Her mind spun with questions, arguments, comebacks. Anything to prepare for the conversation that was about to take place. She needed to know why he kept this huge secret from her, then dare to chose _her_ as his successor (though deep down she knew why he had…there was no one else), and tell him that she wanted no part in the Mafia.

The two stood at the balcony railing. Watching the city she adored, glow and glimmer in the moonlight. She turned and looked at her Uncle. Her family. Even now, she still couldn't understand-or even imagine-how this gentle being was a criminal of a Mafia. She could see him being a CEO. That's what she knew all her life. But now…now she didn't know. It almost felt like she was staring at a stranger.

"Is it really true? You're a Mafia Boss?" she asked again as if the answer would magically change.

Deep down she wished that he would just deny it. Say that Reborn had pulled a trick on her. That Tikki was somehow in on the joke. She could deal with that. She could deal with him knowing she was Ladybug over…over _this._

"Yes, although, in the beginning, I never wanted to be one."

"That's what Reborn said." she stated.

"Well, it's true. At first, I didn't want anything to do with the mafia. I was just a weak and scared child at the time. But things happened and I stepped up to the plate." His eyes harden as if he was remembering something.

"Things?"

The older male nodded, "Yes, things like…fighting Mukuro and his gang, then Xanxus, then there was this one time in the future and then after that-"

"T-The future!?" she choked out.

"Yes, but those are another stories for another time. I became the Mafia Boss of Vongola to protect to ones I love and Innocents where the law cannot. Just like you with those akumas."

Marinette's eyes widen before she nodded, seeing the parallels. "I…I guess so. I mean…I didn't think I could be a superhero at first but…well here I am!"

"Here you are indeed." Tsuna smiled before it was dropped. "I know you had told Reborn to inform me not to show up here. I'm sorry that I did. I was planning to leave before you noticed."

"It's fine. I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have said those mean things." she apologized. The guilt and shame from that comment had been slowing chipping away at her.

He shook his head. "I understand why you did. It's not easy finding out your family is part of a mafia."

"Head of a mafia." she corrected.

Humming in agreement, he turned and faced the city. "I kept it a secret to keep you all safe. I didn't want you to get endangered. Vongola may have many allies but we have just as much enemies."

"Then why choose me? To be this 11th or whatever?"

"I didn't. But with a lack of heir at my age…It's…unusual in the Mafia world. Usually, a child of mine would've started to be prepped and groomed to be the next head. However, because of an…unforeseen incident. I do not have one."

Marinette bit her lip, thinking. Finally she spoke, "You…You could…always…remarry…again.." she braved the waters.

It was wrong. To say such a thing. She mentally kicked herself for it, but right now she was feeling selfish. She did not want to be apart of this at all. Being Ladybug is enough for her. Why couldn't he try to find someone who he can love and have a true heir with? It's harder than it sounds because she knew why. His old love. The one who used to come with him when he visited. The one who shone like the sun. She was gone and would never come back. Marinette knew she was gone and that her dearest Uncle could not just…move on that easily. Before, she was told it was that the nice woman had passed from illness. But now…Now she suspected it to be greater than sickness.

Tsuna was silent. She mentally freaked out. Afraid that she had opened old wounds. "I…I could…but I just…it…I'm sorry, Marinette." he choked out.

She panicked and was at his side immediately. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's quite alright. I just…" she saw him take a deep breath and look down at her. His eyes were shining with unshed tears. The guilt increased. "…it's a lot harder than you think. With all the work I have, I can't simply "put myself out there". The women in the underground world would only want my wealth and power of Vongola behind them. Or one could be used as an assassin by an enemy." he explained yet she knew that hidden underneath those was the hard truth that…he just couldn't imagine someone else.

"I understand. However, I still don't get why I would be qualified?"

"I think I can answer that!" there was a squeak and they both turned to the sound.

Standing on the railing was the child from that morning. In his hand was an old scroll.

"It's you! But how did you get-"

"Reborn! What are you doing here?!" Tsuna demanded.

 _Wait…What?_

"Is that like Reborn's son or…?" that was the only logical conclusion to come to after all.

"This one has good jokes, Dame-Tsuna." the kid squeaked.

Tsuna just shook his head. "This is indeed him."

"So wait," she felt her brain starting to compute. " _this_ is Reborn? But that's not even physically possible!"

Tsuna just sighed while "Reborn" replied, "Anything is possible in the Mafia. But we're not going to speak about my size. We're here for why you're the chosen heir."

Marinette was still stuck on his height to be even considering that. "Wait, if you're really Reborn…then you _infiltrated_ my PE class!"

"You did what!?" the older male nearly screamed.

"I was checking to make sure she was the right candidate. And she passed."

"That was a test!?" she needed to sit down.

"Anyway, you both need to shut up before I shoot you sideways. Onto why she's even a choice!" he rolled the scroll out.

Next to her Tsuna hummed in confusion "Did it get longer than the last time I saw it?"

"What is this?"

"It's the Vongola Family Tree that goes all the way back to Primo." _huh, Tikki told me about Primo._

She scanned the tree. She could see a long line that lead to Tsuna. So Primo was his ancestor? That was interesting. It answered why he became the boss. But not…her? She tilted her head as she glanced at the other side of the tree. Coming from the name above Tsuna's was a red line. Underneath it was the name "Mai". It seems Tsuna had an Aunt. Who married a Cheng that resulted in her mother and lead directly down to her.

"Primo or Ieyasu is your Great, Great, Great, Great grandfather. In other words, since you inherited the Vongola blood that makes you a legitimate candidate to become the next boss."

"But that's like a small portion!" she argued.

"It's the only portion we got." the child rolled the chart back up and took off his hat. She watched him place the scroll inside it before putting his hat back on.

She couldn't really deny that they had no choice. With no Heir and her having some of the bloodline, it was natural for them to check the family tree and apparently find her. The fact that she was young only solidified their decision. Children are malleable. Can be shaped and turned into what someone wants them to be or as close as they can get. So from a logical standpoint, this dilemma she had was expected. But, morally, Mafia's are no good and she wants no part of one. Even if it's ran by a sweet family member.

"Well, that doesn't matter. I have other business like being Ladybug! I can't become a Mafia boss."

"Huh, you act like you have a choice in the matter." Reborn stated as a shiver ran up her spine.

"Reborn." Tsuna warned.

The "infant" turned his back to them and tilted his hat down. "She will be trained regardless. The younger they are, the better to start. We start in the morning!"

With that said, he jumped from the balcony. Shocked and slightly worried, Marinette raced to the edge. Only to find that the baby was gone. She sighed and grabbed her head. That man-could she say that?-was something else entirely.

"Once he gets going, there's no stopping him." Tsuna sighed. "I'm sorry that this happened, Marinette."

She straightened up and looked back at him with a tired smile. "It's okay." she lied. It wasn't okay. She was about to be dragged into the underground. And she's a superhero for crying out loud!

Tsuna frowned, "The least I can do is give you something to help you."

Marinette tilted her head in question. A gift? At this time? She watched him reach into his dress pant's pocket and pull out what looked like a ticktack box. _Is he trying to tell me that my breath stinks?_ She would've felt embarrassed had it was full of ticktacks. Tsuna handed them to her, putting them in her hand, and wrapped her fingers around them. Confusion spread on her small face, trying to understand why he would give her these. Looking up to meet his gaze, she was stunned. Never before did she see such a serious expression on her Uncle's face.

"No matter what…I need you to promise me. Do not use these before you are ready."

"Why- What do you mean?"

"There will come a time, where you will need to use these. But for now, it's best you get used to the flames that come out of you when in Dying will mode first before you use these."

"Wait! Flames? Dying Will Mode?"

"Let me guess. Reborn didn't explain the flames to you?" She nodded and Tsuna sighed. "Alright, Sit tight. I'll tell you about them."

And so she did. She quietly listened as he explained the flames that apparently everyone has. There were 7. All had their very own color. Sky, orange; Rain, blue; Storm, red; Sun, yellow; Lightning, green; Mist, indigo; and finally Cloud, purple. He even went as far as showing her his sky flame. She was hesitant to touch it when he said she could, but when she did. She surprisingly didn't get burned. Instead it just felt very warm. He also told her about Reborn's dying will bullets that brought out someone flame. She silently wondered if what chat was going on about her being on fire meant that he saw her produce such a flame.

He also explained that they each had different attributes. Cloud flames could propagate things. Meaning that it could multiply objects. Mist flames could construct or create. Lightning could harden or solidify. Sun had activation. It gave the user energy and could heal things. He said that was possible because it could activate cells and make them divide. Storm could deteriorate things. She was briefly reminded of Chat's ability when he mentioned that. Rain was tranquility and Sky was Harmony. Sky had the ability to pull other flames in and connect them. He described it as a drawing sensation, like there was a force pulling someone to that flame.

"Just like you! When I first met you, there was something about you that just pulled me in!" she giggled and he laughed.

"I guess, although I'm only speaking from what my friends have told me." She nodded, understandingly.

"You're a bright person, Marinette. You may not know it, but you also have people who gravitate around you. No matter how mean or how nice, they'll be drawn to you." he suddenly said. "That's part of the reason why I'm giving you these, to help you protect those you love. With or without the suit."

"What's the other reason then?"

Tsuna gave off an saddened expression before continuing, "To protect yourself as well."

"But I can-"

"I know you can protect yourself, with that suit. But the mafia is the only ones who know about the flames. And should anyone find out that you have any connection to me or Vongola. They will try to hurt you and the people close to you. And no amount of convincing that you don't want to be an heir or have any connection will change their minds."

He kneeled down and placed a firm grip on her shoulders. Marinette stared into his honey brown eyes that were laced with worry and sadness. He did not want this for her. He'd rather have her live her life normally, but fate always had other plans.

"That's why I'm telling you now…Do not…Under any circumstance…Tell anyone about the Vongola and your connection to it. No one. Only those whom you trust with your life. Got it?"

She just nodded her head once again. Scared. Scared for her life, family and friends. Just as she did with her Ladybug identity, she vowed to herself. _I will not tell anyone, it's too dangerous. If I'm lucky, no one will know and maybe they'll find a more suitable boss._

Sighing in relief, Tsuna smiled before hugging Marinette, "Remember that no matter what, no one can make you become the new boss. There's still time to find a new one. I'm not that old yet." he chuckled lightheartedly.

She joined in with the laughter and found that she felt considerably lightened. Despite the fact that she had felt like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders.

* * *

 _ **Edited 3-11-18**_


	5. Beginnings

**I've been watching the second season of ML and…I hate Gabriel Agreste. As of now on, Adrien is my child. This has been a PSA.**

 **Key:**

" **Bold** " - Italian

"Normal" - French

 **Disclaimer: I do not own them at all…just the idea!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Beginnings**

* * *

Marinette was not happy. At all! It was a complete miracle that she even survived or more accurately was surviving!

Reborn had begun 'training' Marinette the next morning. He made her wake up before the everything on the planet did. In the most bizarre way! An unholy combination of electrocution, mallets, and grenades! Then he forced(read as: shot at) her to run to the school, around it, back home, then back to the school again! He stated that she would have to do this every morning! Every morning!? Who did he think she was?

When that was over, it was time for breakfast. Her dear mother had made a stunning breakfast for her. The woman most-likely was proud and surprised that she was up early. She was enjoying a batch of fresh crepes when the little thief came out of nowhere and snatched up her plate. Her breakfast! Gone! That baby was faster than light!

 _Kill me now._

Currently, she was moping in her chair and not trying to fall asleep. She had to stay awake. It was an important lecture. The next hour was lunch after all. She could wait. She tried to tell herself. Marinette yawned and looked over at Alya. Her best friend would tell her what the teacher talked about right? It was okay to rest her head down. Just for a second. The heroine folded her arms and laid her head down. Just a second. It would only be a second. The last thing she heard was Alya scoffing with exasperation.

When she woke up, she found herself alone in the classroom. Panic filled her as she searched for the clock. Her eyes nearly bulged out when she saw the time. It was 10 minutes until Lunch would be over! She slept through all that!? As quickly as she could, she gathered her stuff and was about to leave the room when a strange noise entered her ears. It seemed to have been coming from the blackboard. Her eyes turned to it and watched it in suspicion. Suddenly, a perfect line ran down the center and the board parted. It revealed a room with a fireplace, a brown leather chair, and a table with a cup of coffee on it. And sitting in that chair was none other than Reborn.

"When did you get here!? And what did you do to the board!?"

"I have secret spots like this all over the school." _When did he get the time to do that!?_ "Since you fell asleep for the teacher's lecture, I thought it would be kind of me to reteach it to you." there was a sparkle in his black eyes that made her dread the next hours to come.

Reborn spent those 10 minutes cramming everything the teacher taught in her. It was exhausting and explosive. Her only saving grace was the bell. Marinette never ran out of class so fast. One would've thought that an Akuma was on her tail. Even though, she fled, she sadly still heard him say that they were going to go over the lesson again when she got home. _I guess I'm starting patrol early today!_

The next torment came in chemistry. The teacher had handed back the tests from last Friday. Marinette had received a high C. It wasn't bad but it was better than an F or D. That meant she still passed! Even so, she couldn't stop the sudden dread that fell over her. She had no idea what it meant until the school day was over. She got home, tired from Reborn's nonsense, and found a rope, grenades, and a mischievous Reborn standing in her room. Needless to say, the devil tied her up, laced her with grenades and every question she didn't answer right…let's just say, no amount of hair products will get the singe marks out the ends of her hair. Thank god for Ladybug's magic or else she swore she would've died. It wasn't like she could go to Tsuna for help. After last night, he had to fly back home. He really did have business to attend to back in Italy and could only afford a day out here. That meant that she was alone. Stuck with Reborn.

They went over the lecture, finished her homework, and he made her miss patrol so she could get to bed. When he told her that he wanted her to get to bed on time so that she wouldn't be tired all morning. She felt a warmness in her heart. That may be, he did care. Until he nearly knocked her out again and reminded her that she had to "exercise" again tomorrow morning. And like a bad song on replay, they went through it all over again. She wanted to cry and it was only day 2!

As of now, the exhausted heroine was sitting alone on her patrol. Chat called and said he had a family engagement to attend to. So the hero was gloomily thinking about her situation on top of the famous Notre-Dame. As far as she was concerned, Reborn hadn't followed her out there. If he had, it wouldn't surprise her. Especially with that thing he had. She knew it was a Chameleon, but the way it shape-shifted made her confused. According to Tikki, it wasn't a Kwami. Reborn just told her that Leon was Leon and that was all there was to it. So, as usual, he made no sense (she also didn't know how he could easily become a baby either).

Ladybug continued to think these strange things over until her head started to pound. Again that same headache, that came on when she was in class, came back. It happened more often now. Before every Akuma attack was where it frequently appeared. A part of her thought that maybe it was the famed "woman's Intuition" that she heard about growing up. Another part of her thought it was some sort of Ladybug senses that she gained in the suit. Whatever it was, it always spelled out trouble. The bug looked down as she placed a fingertip on her temple. She massaged in small circles as her eyes caught onto something. It was two men in black standing in front of the gates of Notre-Dame. They seemed to be scanning their surroundings before entering.

"That's way past visiting hours." she hummed before flicking her yo-yo out.

She hooked the end around a column and swung herself down a level to a colorful window. _Now, will I need to call on a lucky charm or…is god on my side tonight?_ She reached out and tried to open the door. Thanking her lucky stars that it was open (the clergymen really need to check all windows and doors before closing), she pushed through and landed on the cathedral's upper floor*. The heroine crept towards the stone railings and peeked over. The two lone men were standing in the middle platform. Where the colorful moonlight hit them. One had a shining metal suitcase while the other had a black one. _Could this be…an exchange?_ She saw this kind of thing in movies and TV shows. It never occurred to her that it happened in real life. I have to stop this. She tightened her grip on her weapon before hesitating.

"Let's wait and see exactly what they're planning.." she quietly hummed.

"Do you have them?" the man with the black suitcase asked.

From where she could see, he had solid black sunglasses that blocked his eyes from her. As well as a uniquely thick, brown beard. He was beefy and tall. He reminded her of Adrien's bodyguard with his size. Upon his head was a black fedora. He wore a black suit with silver lines running down them. Pinstripe. His sleeves were rolled up and pulled back to his elbows. His arms showed sleeves of colorful tattoos.

"I do." the other male spoke. His voice was raspy and heavy with an accent. He held up his silver suitcase that nearly blinded her in the light. This man was thinner than the other. He could easily have been taken down by the buff man. His hair was long enough to be tied back. He also wore a suit, but it wasn't black as she had assumed. It was gray. He had peach fuzz sprinkled across his face along with a confident grin.

The only similar thing between the two was their apparent love for rings. Almost on each finger was a sparkling ring. Each with varying colors.

"Show me." the buff man stepped forward.

"Show me the cash first." the other retaliated.

Monsieur Hulk-as she decided to dub him-and the foreigner looked at each other for a solid minute before Hulk sagged his shoulders in defeat. He pulled his case up and cracked it open. Revealing rows and rows of colorful euros. _That enough to pay for my college tuition and to start up a fashion line_ , she exaggerated. The thin man reached out to it. If she could see his eyes, she would she sure that they were filled with endless greed. Predictably, Hulk shut the case closed.

"Now show me the boxes."

Ponytail-she decided to call him-huffed and pulled up his box. He turned it over and she had to hold back a gasp. The insignia on it was that same as the one on the limo. Vongola. _Could this be…the reason Tsuna came out here?_ Her mind spiraled off into different possibilities. Maybe he made a deal with a local mafia and this was the result? Maybe this was an enemy faction that they are warring against? And this was their attempt to bring about a truce. Whatever it was, it didn't make her waver in her decision to stop it.

Ponytail opened the case and revealed colorful boxes. Huh? Along with blue paper. "Prototypes for the new Vongola boxes. I threw in a blueprint for a Gola Mosca for extra measure."

"My boss will be pleased to hear this. You've definitely proven your loyalty, Alexandre." The two men exchanged cases.

Alexandre opened his money case and stared down at it. "What can I say? I hate Vongola just as much as he." He snapped it closed, the sound echoed through the cathedral. "So much so, that I recently acquired some special information that your employer may like."

"Oh?"

"I'll tell…for another case of cash."

Hulk clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Does it look like I have another case on me?"

"No, but I'm sure you can gather it up in due time." Alexandre turned away and held the suitcase over his shoulder. He walked off the platform, his heels clicking in his wake.

"Or," there was a loud click, "You could just spill and avoid ruining the floor with your blood. I'm sure the priests here wouldn't be so happy to find a dead body around their sacred church." Hulk aimed a long silver gun at Alexandre. It was sparkling in the moonlight. The window's colors were sprayed onto it. Although, she could've sworn that the tip was sparkling red.

"Oh no. Not on my watch." she stood up and flicker wrist. Her yo-yo was sent spiraling at the weapon. It wrapped around it and she pulled it out of his hands in one swift motion. With their attention now on her, she broke out a cocky grin. "It's a little too late for confession time, boys!"

"Ladybug!?" Alexandre gasped.

The hulking man growled and glared at Alexandre. "You set me up!"

"What!? No! I-"

Ladybug came down in an arc at the brute. She sent him a powerful kick in the jaw before backflipping to land. Her sharp bluebell eyes snapped towards the other man. Who decided that it was in his best interest to run. With another flick of her wrist, Alexandre found himself tied up. However, the hulk was already recovering from the blow. So, with a powerful tug and turn. She swung the traitor into the brute. Benches were turned over in her wake. Time to get these fools down to the station. The heroine strode over towards them. Spotting the silver case, she picked it up in one motion and continued on her way.

"Alright, I think it's time to-" before she could finish, another gun was entered into the mix. Alexandre pulled out a small pistol from his sleeve. It was short and golden. With three barrels to stare down. He aimed it at her and she swore there was fire spewing from each barrel. Red, Green, Purple…

"Sayonara, Ladybug." she saw him grin before a loud bang echoed in the cathedral.

Instead of the beloved hero falling down, the traitor collapsed. Ladybug had felt air rush past her face right before the man fell. Is he!? She quickly got to his side and tilted his head. Upon his forehead was a small round disk. On it was blue glowing light. _What in the world?_ There was a groan and she saw the hulk get up and hold his head in pain.

"What in the-" he was silenced by another bang. A tiny disk landed on his neck before he went down.

Ladybug stood up and looked towards the direction where the shots came from. She saw a shine of a lens before it was pulled back. Revealing a woman with long blonde hair. She wore a visor over her eyes but Ladybug could tell that she was glaring at her. The mystery lady slid her rifle onto her back and seemed to be looking for something at her sides.

"Who are you?" she wondered out loud.

The woman stopped and looked down at her. In her hands was a grappling hook. She didn't answer the hero's question. Instead, she aimed her weapon at her and fired. Ladybug quickly grabbed the metal suitcase and used it shield herself. The hook punctured the case on impact and was ripped from Ladybug's grip.

"Hey!"

It flew into the woman's hands. Ladybug watched as she placed her hand over her ear and spoke. " **This is Pavoni. The spy has been apprehended and the package is secured…** " she spoke fluently into her hidden communicator. _How dare she ignore me and talk on the phone?!_ Ladybug grumbled and shouted at her again. " **Copy that. Pavoni, over and out**."

"Hey!" she yelled out again.

The woman snapped her head towards her. "I recommend taking those men to the proper authorities, Madame Ladybug." Her French was just as natural as the other language she spoke. _Was it Spanish? Or Italian?_ It made it obvious that she was native like her.

"I-I will, but that suitcase-"

"Is it better hands," the stranger finished with a smile. "We thank you for your…unneeded help." her smile turned sour for a moment. The words processed in her mind and Ladybug found herself confused.

"We?" The woman smirked and nodded. She turned away and melted into the darkness. "Wait!" Ladybug called and swung herself up to the balcony. When she landed, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

 _Damn._

* * *

Rodger never liked working late shifts. Even before his promotion, it was the worst part of his job. Now, lessened a bit, but that never stopped the hatred for it. Especially for this day of all days. Late shifts were always boring and tiring. Nothing interesting ever happened down at the station at that time. So, when he heard a knock on the glass doors, he was surprised. The officer got up from his new comfortable seat and waltz over to the entrance where he got another shock.

Tied up, were two unconscious men. Attached to the smaller one's head was a sticky note. It read: "Caught Breaking and Entering Notre-Dame. Happy Birthday! -LB". The men were taken in and held in cells until morning light.

"At least she remembered my birthday."

* * *

Marinette's next morning was the same as the others. Although, something seemed different. The baby didn't take her food at all. It was suspicious. Sadly, that was the only change. The "exercise" (read as: torture) was still grueling and draining. She couldn't stop thinking about the events of last night. She was curious about the mystery woman and what those strange boxes were. Although, it seemed like it was a Mafia matter. _And if I want to be a normal high school student, then I shouldn't think about that._ Is what she tried to tell herself over and over again. The thoughts never truly faded.

The man, Alexandre, had information on the Vongola and, if she had read the scene correctly, was betraying them. All for money. How greedy. She guessed that's what happens in the mafia. _Though, it bugs me…what information did he claim to have?_ She was reminded of the warning her Uncle gave her. Could it have been that she was already found out? She hoped not. _Maybe I should-_ She shook her head. It was better to leave these kinds of things alone. She was strictly not going to get involved. There was already a lot on her plate. Being Ladybug and living her life was already challenging. Now she needed to find a way to pass on this heir title so someone fitting. Someone aggressive, someone who would do anything it takes, someone who won't sully her Uncle's name. And someone who has some Vongola blood in their veins. She sighed, she saw the tree. If there was someone else, they would've chosen them instead.

 _Maybe I should auction it? Nah, Reborn would murder me._

As of now, the normal student was trying her hardest to pay attention. So far it was working. At least, that's what the lack of seeing Reborn told her. She was trying to not repeat what happened last time. Her whole lunch was wasted. It sucked. So, this time, to avoid the baby/man's tutoring, she was trying to absorb as much information as possible. However, this sudden attitude shift caught some people off guard. Specifically a LadyBlogger.

"Are you sick?" the reporter suddenly asked.

"What?" the heroine stopped and looked over at her friend.

"Just the other day you were asleep. And now you're taking notes. Usually, you sleep in this class."

"Oh! Well…" she laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head, "I've been busy at home. Ya know designing and stuff. I wanted to get my work done here so I'd have time to work on my portfolio."

Alya gasped and stared at her as if she grew two heads. "In my life, I never thought I'd see this day." she sniffled and faked tears. "How they grow up so fast."

"Hey, don't act all surprised." she giggled.

"Oh, that reminds me. I got some news that a new student was transferring here!"

"That's cool! Where are they from?"

"Brazil." Alya purposely rolled the r and wiggled her eyes. The blogger slapped her hands over her cheeks and sighed. "I heard he was quite the looker. If only-"

"If only you weren't madly in love with a certain," Marinette coughed and lowered her voice. "…aspiring director?"

"Marinette!" Alya quietly whined.

"Just stating the obvious~!" she giggled.

The blogger huffed and looked away with a pout. Marinette couldn't help but laugh at her expense. _Oh, How the tables have turned_. As they say. Once class was over. Everyone headed towards the courtyard to sit and eat. All the voices mixed and make the area louder than it had been. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business. Marinette sat with Alya, who was busy scouting the area for the hot Brazilian. She was about to give up her search when a loud shriek silenced the courtyard. Everyone stopped and stared at the owner, Chloé. Most rolled their eyes and went back to eating while others stared.

Her new shirt was drenched in a brown liquid. Coffee, Marinette realized. In front of her was a kid she had never seen before. She concluded that it must've been the new kid. He stood tall. With dark skin and a mop of brown hair on his head. His eyes were a chocolate brown. He sported a short-sleeved athletic red and gray T-shirt that revealed his muscle, toned arms. Along with black shorts that showed off his long legs. He wore red converse with long white socks. He looked ready to play. Marinette didn't deny that he looked attractive. But her heart was still clinging to the thought of Adrien. In his hand was an empty paper coffee cup. Brown droplets were dripping out of the top. His eyes were wide and apologetic.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you!...uhh..here! I can-" he tried to apologize, his voice laced with a strong accent, but Chloé just screamed her head off at him.

"You…You! Stupid little foreigner! Do you know how much this cost!? I'll have you know, my father is the mayor and once he hears of this you can say buh-bye to Paris! I'll make sure you find a one-way ticket back to Portugal!"

"Brazil." he corrected.

"Same difference!" the blonde growled.

Marinette decided to step in. She wasn't going to let Chloé bully the new kid too. "Chloé, he said he's sorry, you should just drop it!"

"Drop it!? He ruined my new shirt! A peasant like you could never understand! I mean look at you, you can't even design a good outfit."

"Excuse me? Weren't you the one who tried to steal my idea for that bowler hat?" Marinette smirked, challenging her to try and deny the truth. People were staring now and Chloé, always one for appearances, just huffed and stalked off. Sabrina trailed behind her. Once they were gone, Marinette turned to the Brazilian and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, she's like that with everyone. All her threats are empty, so don't take it personally."

The boy stood there and suddenly his cheeks showed tiny specks of red. She hoped he hadn't caught a cold or something. "I-It's no problem at all! I..uh..t-thank you for sticking up for me. You're so kind."

At that, Marinette blushed and shook her head, "It's ok, I would've done it for anyone." She smiled and the boy nearly fainted, not that anyone noticed. Except for maybe Alya and Nino.

* * *

Nino nudged Adrien, who had been watching the whole interaction, and smirked at him, "Better look out, it seems there's some competition."

"What are you talking about?" Adrien seemed genuinely confused.

"Oh, nothing~!" Nino sang.

"Nino?" Nino just laughed and waved a hand. Alya and Nino shared a look before grinning to themselves. Suddenly the bell rang, signaling next period. Marinette ran to Alya's side and they left to get to class. The new kid just stood there in a daze.

Nino, deciding to be friendly, shouted out to him. "Hey!"

The foreigner blinked out of his daze and turned to the person who called out to him. "Hello?"

"Hey man! I'm Nino," he gestured to himself before pointing to his friend, "and this is Adrien, sorry your first experience here was Chloé blowing her top again." Nino introduced them.

The kid shook his head with a chuckle. He waved his hand as if he was shooing away Nino's comment. "It's fine, I've seen girls way worst."

Nino rose an eyebrow at the information. He couldn't imagine someone worst than Chloé. "Who can be worst than Chloé?"

"Someone from Brazil I know. And let me tell you, it's quite the story!" the newbie laughed.

The three chuckled together before Adrien decided to speak. "Hey, what's your name?" Adrien asked. Nino could see the hope sparkling in his eyes. He gave a fond smile before shaking his head.

"It's Marcos Avila." the kid, Marcos, introduced himself.

Adrien stuck his hand out, "It's nice to meet you, Marcos."

Marcos returned the gesture and the two shook hands. "Likewise." the gesture was repeated for Nino. The trio strolled along. Chatting happily while Marcos told them tales of Brazil. They arrived at the two best friend's class and stopped. There was still some time. Nino noticed Marcos' eyes trail to the window behind him. He turned slightly and spotted Marinette in a lively conversation with Alya. He quietly scoffed. _Adrien, get it together. Or else Mari is going to get swept away._ Though, a part of him doubts that. As determined as Marinette was, he doubts she'd give up on Adrien that easily.

"Oh, hey can I ask you two something?"

"Yeah sure," they responded in sync.

"That girl with the pigtails. She's the one who helped me right?" he pointed at the window. The duo turned before looking back at him

"Yep! That's Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Nino answered proudly.

"Why do you ask?" Adrien questioned.

"Well I-uh didn't get her name when we talked." a faint blush dusted the newbie's cheeks.

"Oh I see, she's a very nice girl. Like an angel! She's also cute!" He elbowed Adrien lightly, "Right Adrien?"

"Haha, well I guess?" the model, scratched the back of his neck, unsure.

Nino narrowed his eyes at the model before sagging his shoulders, "Mmm, I see." Nino sighed, disappointed.

"What?"

* * *

Marinette skipped down the school steps. Her day had gone splendidly. No reborn at all in class! It was fantastic! She was so giddy that she didn't notice the backpack on the stairs. She saw a mop of blonde hair and emerald eyes before taking a tumble. She found herself in someone's arms and her face in someone's chest. Unknowingly, she gripped their shirt. Its fabric was smooth. She opened her eyes and saw herself staring at a red and gray T-shirt. Her eyes traveled up and she saw the new kid. Next to him was Adrien and Nino. No one seemed to notice the blush on the newbie's face. Although..

 _Why is Nino smirking?_

"I..uh..I'm so sorry!" she quickly pulled back, embarrassed to have fallen in front of Adrien.

"I-It's ok! Are you hurt?" the new kid- _what's his name again?_ -asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." she smiled reassuringly.

"Are you sure Marinette?" Adrien asked, tilting his head a little. _Don't look at me like that! He's so…so dreamy~!_ She felt her heart skip a beat before beating faster. Every time she was around Adrien, she got so tongue-tied. It wasn't her fault! He was just too much! So kind and good looking.

"YES! I..uh…erm…welll..I..a-…I'mok!" she stuttered horribly.

Adrien chuckled before hearing a loud honk, "Well…that's my ride, I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Yeah see ya man!" Nino called after him. "And I'll see you two later! I gotta go find Alya!" Nino literally ran faster than lightening back in the building. Now she was here. Alone with the new student.

"So what's your name?" she asked after Adrien's ride passed.

"It's…uh..M-Marcos! Marcos Avila!"

"Oh! It's nice to meet you, Marcos. I'm Marinette. Sorry again for Chloé."

"It's ok, M-Marinette." the boy turned his gaze downward and lightly kicked the concrete, "Hey…um can I ask you something?"

She tilted her head at his odd behavior, "Sure."

"Well…I have a…football* game coming up next week and…would you like to come and watch me play?" he sounded oddly nervous.

"Uh…sure!" She smiled, glad to have a chance to make a new friend.

His eyes widened and he seemed genuinely shocked that she agreed. "What!? You will?! That's so great! I…uh I'll be waiting for you!" It was like a bunch of fireworks went off. He was vibrant and bright. So full of life. Seeing that happiness that she was able to grant him solidified her decision.

"Yeah, I'll cheer you on at the game!"

"Really!? Well if that's the case, then…I'm number 14 so uh look for me? I guess."

"Yeah." she tilted her head and leaned closer to him, trying to examine his face. It looked as though he suddenly came down with something. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…I just gotta…uh…SEEYALATER!" He ran like there was an Akuma on his tail.

 _Weird…he must be shy…oh-_

"Ciaossu!" She felt a weight on her head and instantly knew who it was. A groan escaped her lips as she spent the rest of her time being pulled around by the toddler-not-toddler. There goes that good day.

* * *

 ***Notre-Dame:** I mean like the second floor of the cathedral. Like is it balcony or…what is it?

 ***Football:** Fellow Americans…Football in this context means SOCCER. It just makes sense to call it Football since…this takes place in Paris, France. In the middle of Europe. So yeah.

 **Ciao-su~**

 **Edited: 3-25-18**


	6. Shooting Stars

**I apologize** **for this short chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, but this idea to put these 2 stories together. Well, the 1st to actually go through with it**.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Shooting Stars**

* * *

Marcos was a good guy, Marinette decided. Yes, he was oddly shy, but sweet. Like Nathaniel…a little. She started to notice that he was actively seeking her out. After class, during lunch, after school. One time, he even casually walked by the bakery, before stopping, backtracking, standing there, making eye contact, and running away like hell. It's odd, but he was still a good guy. He had only been there for a week and he already destroyed the football unit in gym. He made a reputation as the new Star Football Player. Too bad he was already on another team. That didn't deter the coaches from trying to get him on their football team.

The day had finally arrived of his special game that he invited her to. Her best friend, Alya, came along with her. Nino and Adrien were there too. It seemed that Nino, Marcos, and Adrien had become friends. Of course, it had been Nino to initiate the interaction. Adrien, sweet Adrien, was a little shy in making a new friend and all. At least that's what her experience underneath the Umbrella hinted towards.

Marinette sat on the small sideline bleachers with Alya. Nino made a move to sit next to Marinette but received a glare from Alya. Gulping, he quickly sat down next to the journalist. Adrien, seeing his friend choose to sit next to the girl who he could tell that he liked, decided to sit next to Marinette. _Oh god! He's sitting next to me! Oh no! I might end up fainting, but if I do…_ there was a sudden shiver. Her eyes wandered down to the field and she saw a peculiar baby there. Reborn. He was dressed up as the coach and no one seemed to noticed or care.

"R-Reborn!" she squeaked semi-quietly.

Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. He was smirking her way! _Oh great!_ She was sure he was probably planning something. Forgetting who she was sitting next to, she looked around, looking a little crazed. Looking for grenades, traps, bears, anything. The last few weeks had been terrorizing for her. The kid kept trying to shoot her with some sort of special bullet, but the girl did not want to allow it. Dying was not on her agenda. That didn't stop the baby.

"Marinette?"

A soothing, sweet voice snapped her out of her panicked state, Marinette turned and saw Adrien staring at her, worry and confusion edged on his face. Her cheeks exploded in various shades of red before settling on the darkest shade.

"Y-Yes?" she stuttered.

"Are you alright?"

"I-uh…you're fine! I mean…you're great! No! I'm fine! Just great! Heh…heh." _That…was…pathetic! I bet he thinks I'm super strange now! Oh, great Marinette. Just great!_

He smiled that classic charming smile, "Ok then."

Deciding to pay attention to the game, she turned her attention to the running players. While looking for her friend, she noticed a photographer across the way. Must be the newspaper. The photographer was a woman with long raven hair and a very expensive looking camera. The woman noticed her stare and aimed her camera at the seats. Marinette felt her temple pulse. Her hand went to the spot and massaged it. The woman smiled before turning away. The designer shrugged the ache as the crowd cheered around her. Turning away, she focused on the tall figure with an orange 14 printed on his shirt.

* * *

"Yeah!" The crowd cried out once again, getting riled up at another easily made goal. At the sound of their cheers, Marcos smiled and nearly tripped when he heard familiar female yell out his name and cheer.

It was the nearing the end of the game. The two teams were tied. This was the shot that would decide the winner. Marcos pushed harder, running like a blazing wildfire. His eyes sharpened, ready to take the shot. The cheering still loud in his ears. A familiar Asian girl with a bright smile flashed through his mind before he swung his leg forward and the ball flew into the net.

"YEAHHH!" the whole sidelines exploded.

Beads of sweat dripped off his face and rolled down his neck. He panted, a smile on his face. His head whipped around to face the bleachers where _she_ sat. She was smiling like the sun and hopping up and down with Alya. A pleasant sigh escaped his mouth before he jogged over to the bleachers.

Her dark hair waved around her as the sweetheart rushed down the stairs and smiled at the Star Player, "Great Job out there, Marcos!"

"T-Thank you!" he breathed out, blaming his lack of breath on the game and not the beauty in front of him.

"Yeah, Dude you rocked the field!" Nino chimed in.

"You were amazing!" Adrien complimented.

He shook his head and smiled bashfully, "Thanks, guys." Marcos' gaze fell back on the short girl in front of him and he swallowed. _This is it!_ He pondered on this for at least the whole last week and weekend. A part of him feared the rejection, but the other part was so full of adrenaline that the doubt was pushed far back. Gathering his courage, he spoke once more, "Hey, Marinette. Can…Can I talk to you…alone?" So what if he was too shy to ask the burning question in front of his friends?

"Um…OK?" she tilted her head… _cute_. Together they walked off the grass and away from the field. Finally, they stopped and were out of earshot of their friends. Marcos stood in front of Marinette, a violent blush on his cheeks. "You wanted to talk to me?" She gave him a sweet smile.

"Yes! I mean…yeah…Well…the thing is that…ever since you stood up for me and showed me kindness, I've…ah-em…well…I…I l-like you! So..uh-em…do you want to hang out sometime?...I'm sorry. I've never done this before." he stuttered out.

Marinette stopped, her eyes wide. A blush crept on her cheek. Seeing the blush, his mind ran wild with different emotions. On one hand, he was panicking, what if she didn't return his feelings? On the other hand, what if she _did_?!

Her eyes got apologetic and he felt his heart plummet, "I…I'm sorry, I don't return your feelings. I-…I already..um..sorry Marcos."

"O-Oh." he kicked himself for sounding disappointed because it made her look sorrier.

Her eyes seemed panicky as she scurried for her next lines. "But, you're still my friend! I mean this doesn't ruin our friendship, right?"

"Y-yeah…I mean, no it doesn't ruin anything." And it didn't, even if his hopes for her heart were crushed, he could try to settle with being just friends.

"O-Ok." There was an awkward silence before she spoke up again, "I'll see you later?"

"Yah." he quietly responded.

He watched a little bitterly as she walked away back to the others. That's when he saw _IT_. The look she gave _him_. He could spot it so easily because it was the same one he's been giving her. He gritted his teeth. Adrien Agreste. He was great guy and friend, he knew that. But he couldn't help the jealousy that burned in his chest. _I would love to have her look at me that way. He doesn't know how Lucky he is._ He knew it was wrong to think so negatively about his new friend, so he pushed it down. He saw Adrien smile at Marinette, making her go into a bubbly stuttering mess. His heart broke at the sight.

He thought back to the rejection and sighed as his chest stung. _Why couldn't it be me?_ That thought rang in his head like a chant. If only there was a way for him to prove himself to her. To change her mind. But, how could he do that? She was obviously in love with someone else. While he only had a pesky crush on her.

 _I just…want to repay her. I want to be by her side._

"Oi, I heard the Agreste child was bad at football." a squeaky voice pierced through the air.

Marcos looked up and turned around. Standing behind him was a small child. The kid wore an obviously expensive suit and a fedora to match. He had a tiny chameleon in his hands. "What?" the football player questioned.

"You want to prove yourself? Tomorrow is a free day in the gym. Challenge young Agreste to a game of football." there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Prove…I…I don't know. Adrien and I are good friends. Wouldn't that be rude?"

The kid scoffed, "Rude? No, think of it as…a test. To see if he's worthy to dwell in such a bright sky."

 _Worthy huh?_ "It wouldn't hurt at all, would it?"

A smirk graced the kid's face, "Not at all."

* * *

Adrien placed his belongings in his locker. Nino was beside him, talking about this new band he found out about. Something about discos and panicking? It seemed fun. The way he lit up about it was nice to see, even if he personally didn't understand. The famous model heard footsteps draw closer towards him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Marcos. Although he looked more determined.

"Hey, Marcos." He greeted him.

The pro smiled at him but the spark in his eyes was still there, "Oi, today in the gym is a free day. Why don't we have a game of football?"

Adrien lit up, "Oh yeah! Sure! Hey, Nino-"

"No, just me…and you."

The blonde look back at him in confusion. Missing the smirk and glinting eyes of a tiny hitman, he hummed in question. Marcos took a step towards him with a giant smile on his face. Something about it seemed forced. Seemed fake. Something was wrong.

"Adrien Agreste," he began. People stopped and looked at them with curiosity, "I challenge you."

* * *

 **What's Reborn planning? Hm?**

 **Ciao-su~**

 **Edited: 3-25-18**


	7. Marcos vs Adrien

**Are you ready!**

 **Ready...for...a showdown!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Marcos vs Adrien**

* * *

 _What?_

It was hard to fathom what Marcos had asked of him. Why challenge him? _Him?_ To a game of football? Was this another bonding thing that guys did? Did his homeschooling make him miss out on this?!

"Do you accept?" Marcos pressed.

Adrien's eyes flickered around nervously, "Erm, what brought this on?"

"I have my reasons." Marcos vaguely responded.

"Um," Adrien noticed people staring at him, "Sure?"

The Brazilian grinned, "Good. I'll see you in the gym. Don't be late." Adrien stared dumbly, as the other swiftly left.

"Whoa! What was that about?" Nino asked, out of the blue.

"I have no idea."

Adrien tried to rake his brain to find what he had done to anger the Brazilian. So far he found nothing. _Maybe he isn't angry, maybe just…competitive?_ Maybe this _was_ a bonding thing that guys did. He knew that sometimes the guys would go out and play sports together. Especially Kim. He shook his head and decided to wait until it was time for their match, for now, he had a class to attend to. _Besides,_ he smiled to himself, _it could be fun_. Who knows, he might even grow to like football.

Time clicked on until the bell chimed to signal the next period. Adrien gathered his stuff and quickly got changed in the locker room. Some of his fencing mates gave him words of encouragement and told him that they were cheering for him. They seemed more excited about the affair than he did. It was a nice idea at first, but as he thought about it, he knew he would embarrass himself. _And knowing father, embarrassing myself means embarrassing the family name._ He wondered if he should back out, but dismissed the idea. He didn't back down when his dad refused to allow him to go to school. He didn't back down as Chat Noir. So, he wasn't going to forfeit so easily.

 _Tap_

 _Tap_

 _Tap_

Adrien briskly walked into the gym area. To his surprise, people were sitting on the stairs and bleachers, watching. He expected at least some people playing their own games in the corners of the courtyard. In the center was Marcos and Nino. Nino was talking to the former, most-likely trying to see what's going on with him. _Has he been akumatized? No, he would have some weird outfit and be trying to destroy Paris._ Marcos turned his head and stared at him. His eyes fired up with that same determination from before. _Was I late?_ He glanced at the clock and found that he wasn't late. Sighing, he walked forward, ready to get this over with.

* * *

Marinette's mind went wild with panic. _Why is he challenging Adrien? Did something happen between them?_ Alya didn't seem to know the reason and Nino couldn't get Marcos to tell him either. She watched from the sidelines, as Adrien approached Marcos. Her head started to buzz.

"It's about time you showed up." Marcos' tone was sharp. It was different from his usual tone. Even Adrien seemed to be taken off guard.

"Are you okay Marcos? Whatever it is, we can talk about it." Adrien reasoned.

There was a pause, "There's no issue. This is just a friendly game of football!" As soon as he said friendly, his eyes flickered towards her. She widened her eyes a bit as he turned away.

"Ciaossu~!" a squeaky voice piped up.

Reborn was standing in front of Adrien. He wore black and white striped shirt and pants. Equipped with a whistle around his neck. In place of his fedora was a black hat that rested over his unruly hair.

"Welcome to a Vongola-style showdown!" Marinette's shouts of fear at the word 'Vongola-style' went unheard in between the sounds of cheers around her. "Tonight we shall witness these two competitors battle in a game of…" the hitman trailed off. "Football!"

Marcos smirked while Adrien smiled nervously. The crowd cheered, anxious to see the showdown between the school's favorites. Lifting his hand, he showed off a suspiciously green football with… _eyes? Is that...Leon?! The poor thing was going to be kicked around?!_ She guessed that everyone around Reborn suffered. Even his precious "pet".

"The rules are simple, get the ball in the goal using only your feet." and with that, he kicked the ball-Leon towards Adrien.

Adrien's eyes widened, obviously not ready, and the ball/Leon bounced off his chest. Marcos instantly zoomed at Adrien and stole the ball from him. It took a second for Adrien to react. They both sped off to the goal. Marcos leading while Adrien ran after him. Ready to take the goal, Marcos tried to kick Leon. Suddenly the chameleon bounced out of the way of the pro's foot.

"What?!" Marcos shouted in disbelief.

Adrien took this chance to steal the ball back and run down to the end of the court. Luck was not on his side as he suddenly fell. He lost his footing and tripped over the ball. Leon was then stolen by Marcos. The crowd roared as Marcos made his way back down the opposite way. Adrien staggered up and ran after him. The game went like this. Back and forth constantly. When one scored a point, the other scored one right after. Soon they were down to the last point. The next goal decided the game.

It didn't help that Leon was jumping around a lot. When Marcos or Adrien seemed to make a winning shot, the chameleon would move out of the way. Or when they finally kicked him towards the goal, he would move so that he bounced off one of the poles holding up the net. Marinette saw the irritation in both their faces. It was so foreign to see an irritated expression on Adrien.

She could tell that Reborn was enjoying the show. He stood on the sidelines with a proud smirk on his face. _I'm glad it's not me down there._ She instantly regretted that thought. It may not have been her, this time, to be involved in Reborn's antics. _I refuse to call that hell training_. But she felt bad for Adrien to be drag into it. The last thing she needs is for him to find out about her little dilemma. She glanced around at the various faces of her classmates. _In fact, no one needs to know. Not even…_ she glanced at Alya. _Not even you_.

* * *

Adrien was not only confused but irritated. That weird ball kept moving! And that baby- _What was his name again?_ -was smirking on the sidelines. And no one noticed. It still baffled him how no one seemed to care that the teacher was an infant. An infant that seemed to know his identity. He wasn't sure to be worried about that or not. It wasn't like anyone would believe him if he started to spill the beans.

Marcos flew by him, stealing the ball once again. _Damn._ Adrien knew he was no good at this sport, but he still tried. There was that itching doubt in his mind, but he tried not to listen to it and ran after the Star Football Player. Adrien decided to channel his inner Chat Noir and take back the ball. Thinking on the fly, he stuck his foot in between Marcos' feet and kicked the ball away from him. The model proceeded to use his other foot to kick the ball in the opposite direction. Swiftly turning around, he booked it back to the designated goal.

He didn't need any cat senses to tell him that the other was gaining on his tail. He momentarily let his eyes drift from the ball and that's when it time began to slow. His foot automatically lifted up to push the green ball forward. Instead, he stepped on it and fell backward onto the cold gym ground.

Normally, when that happens, balls roll a little way forward. Maybe even bounce a little, but this ball. This ball…not only rolled and bounced forward, it flew. There was a silence in the air as the ball took flight. No one moved, too awestruck by the sheer luck.

It slowly landed, bounced and rolled forward. Right. Into. The. Goal. There was a long pause before the crowd exploded in cheers.

Adrien could not believe his luck. He had done the impossible. He knew Marcos was the best there was, but dang it did feel good to win at something other than fencing and basketball.

"A good Mafioso can beat his enemy at their own game." a squeaky voice chimed out.

Adrien turned his head and saw the child. What did he mean Mafioso? _What does this have to do with the mafia?!_ He still didn't understand how this kid was just roaming around. Dressing up as if he was a teacher and such. It seemed that only their class figured out that he was a child. Every other student treated him as a teacher.

"Reborn!" His thoughts were interrupted by a shout.

Well, not just any shout. A familiar shout. It reminded him of his Lady. He looked up and saw Marinette running down the bleachers. She ran up to them and scooped the infant up-well tried too. The little guy tripped her. _Wait! What, did he really just-!?_

She staggered forward and fell right on him. He was still on the ground, so he couldn't catch her. His head went back and hit the hardwood floor. He winced at the sudden pain and looked at the fallen girl. Marinette lifted her head up and stared at him. She was gripping his shirt and he couldn't help but notice how blue her eyes were. He never cared to notice nor even get close enough to see them. So very familiar. So very _awfully_ familiar. There was a moment of silence before she pulled back.

Her face was so red that it made Nathanael's hair look pink in comparison. He heard her babble on. Stuttering apologies like usual. But this time, he didn't try to hear them or decipher them. All he could focus on was how blue. Very blue. Her eyes were. Like…Like the sky on a summer day...

 _Like My Lady._

He quickly brushed that thought away. It was a ridiculous thought. His lady didn't want him finding out her identity. It would be wrong to jump to conclusions over something like eye color. There were most likely a lot more people with the same eye color. _With the same shade, tone, and sparkle?_ He tried not to think about it. Instead, giving a smile to the girl and reassured her.

Adrien suddenly remembered the Star Player standing on the side of the court by his bags, a ball in his hand. He looked gloomy. And if his experience has taught him anything it was that negative emotions = akumatization. If Adrien could prevent another Akuma, he would.

The model stood up and strolled over to him. "Marcos…You alright man?"

There was silence before the other looked up at him with a big smile. "I'm fine! Great job out there!" he reached out and they shook hands. The smile made Adrien feel uncomfortable. It was plastic. Extremely fake. But, sadly, it was very familiar. The Brazilian then made an excuse and left. He waved him goodbye and a good luck! He watched him as he faded from his view. A sense of wrongness entered the air. Something wasn't right.

* * *

Red.

That's all he saw. It was wrong. Adrien is a good guy, but it didn't stop him from feeling the way he felt. The swirls of anger intensified once he saw the little _'moment'_ Marinette and Adrien shared. He didn't like it. Nor did he like the intense stare Adrien gave her. _Is he just now noticing her?!_ _Could he have fallen for her? No…_ The more he thought about it. The more anger he felt. So much so, that he didn't even notice the little black butterfly that landed on the football. He heard a voice. It was promising.

 _ **"How dare he stand in the way of your love?"**_

Marcos couldn't help but agree. His negative feelings intensified. The reminder that Adrien was a good guy was shoved out of his head.

 _ **"I can give you the power to get rid of him and gain the one you love.** "_

 _He could!?_ A chance. He was given a chance. But it seemed too good to be true.

 _ **"All you have to do is bring me Chat Noir's and Ladybug's Miraculous."**_

A pair of spotted earrings along with a black ring flashed in his mind. _A wonderful opportunity and all I had to do was bring some jewelry?!_ He agreed. No hesitation.

 _ **"Now is your time to shine, Stellar Mark."**_

* * *

 **Oh no! Another Akuma! Whatever shall we do!?**

 **Ciao-su~**

 **Edited: 3-25-18**


	8. Solar Flare

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, except Marcos.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Solar Flare**

* * *

It was strange. When Adrien went after Marcos, he was nowhere to be found. Nowhere. The model shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He hoped that he was okay. Maybe the guy was just bitter about losing? _If that's the case, then I definitely have to find him!_ He remembered the reason behind Stormy's akumatization. Losing was never a great thing. No one liked to lose.

He made his way back to the gym building when he felt an eerie presence. There was no one around. But his spine tingled like there was. Without any warning, his back was hit by something hard and he found himself inside… _a sphere?_ It oddly looked like a football. A sinister laughter bellowed out. Slicing through the tense air.

Adrien craned his neck and saw a floating figure. _An Akuma! But who is it this time?_ The Akuma wore a tight yellow T-shirt, with the collar and sleeve ends being green. The collar was long and spiked back, behind his neck. The akuma had on blue shorts with two white belts crisscrossing before loosely dangling by his thighs. He had long white and green socks on with yellow and green shoes. He stood on top of a large flaming gold and white football. _Wait, that ball…Marcos!?_ It was him! _But what made him so upset to be akumatized? Was it the fact that I won?_

His brown hair was spiked back and just above his ears, were three feathers—yellow, green, and blue. They were on each side of his face. He adorned white shoulder pads, that resembled feathers. They connected to the front of his chest and had golden feathers dangled over them. He had a gold mask on his face, with a silver lining on the edges.

"Adrien Agreste!" Adrien tensed at how he snarled his name. Marcos shouted out again, "You don't deserve someone like her!"

 _Like her?_ "Who?" Adrien asked, confused. He got no answer, instead just maniacal laughter. Suddenly, the ball and he were lifted up and taken into the school.

 _This is just great. Well, all I have to do now is wait for My Lady. She'll definitely come._

* * *

There was a sudden mixture of screams filling the gym. Marinette had been in the bathroom, fangirling and crying to Tikki about her great fall on Adrien when she heard them. _What in the_ — _An Akuma already!?_ If she was being honest, it was hard to be surprised. In this day and age, Akumas were extremely common in Paris. Especially with that creep Hawkmoth on the loose.

The heroine peeked out and saw them. In the middle of the courtyard was a large transparent sphere. The pattern on it suggested that it was like a football. Inside of it were all the spectators in the gym. They were all panicking. Except for Alya. That girl was joyously filming and most-likely commentating. It was hard to hear over the various noises.

Standing in front of them was, what she assumed to be, the akuma. They had a tight sports shirt on. Its main colors were green and yellow, with a dash of white. The collar was like something out a comic strip. Not that she could judge. Heroes and villains were usually found in those colored pages. It's collar stretched out like spiked up and behind their neck. His hair was also spiked up in a similar fashion. His eyes were framed by feathers and a gold mask. The akuma had on blue shorts with two white belts crisscrossing before they loosely dangled by his thighs. He had long white and green socks on with yellow and green shoes. He was floating on a large flaming football.

"Could that be?" she whispered to herself.

The villain floated down and flipped off his ball. She watched as it shrunk to normal size. He toyed with it. Bouncing it into the air onto his knee over and over. Even occasionally hitting it over his shoulder, where he would bring it back with a hit from his heel.

"Where is Marinette?" the akuma asked.

 _Wait, he's looking for me? Then…that is Marcos!_ It was just as she feared. The embarrassment from losing must've tipped him over the edge.

Alya's smile turned into to scowl as she glared at the akuma. Her recording was forgotten as she placed her hands on her hips. "Like we'll tell you that!" Alya snarled at him.

Marcos hummed before grinning, "I'll just have to squeeze the truth out of you lot." _Oh no! I have to transform!_

"Tikki!" the kwami nodded her head. "Transform me!"

Marinette—Ladybug jumped out of the bathroom and, trying not to let anyone make the connection to her and Marinette, she snuck to the stairwell. The akuma didn't seem to notice her yet but the prisoners did. Alya physically brightened up, Nino smirked, and Adrien… _Wait! He has Adrien!?_ Suddenly, their expressions changed. They looked panicked. _Why? Wait…where's the Akuma?_ She heard a laugh before she found herself flying into the gym wall. Hitting the brick wall, she saw a flash gold. She slid down to the floor and looked up at the Akuma.

"Ladybug!" he laughed as he looked down at her. He jumped and sat on the football. He placed an elbow on his knee as he grinned down at her. With his chin in his hand, he chuckled at her angered expression, "How nice of you to finally show up."

Ladybug glared at the Akuma. Bringing out her yo-yo, she threw it at the ceiling and pulled herself up. She took off and swung around the Akuma. She landed on the railing. Marcos jumped up and turned her way. With a flip, he kicked the flaming ball at her. Ladybug dived to the left and looked at the ball. It was spinning in the broken wall, now gigantic.

"Ha! You don't have good aim do you?" the heroine took a page out of her partner's book and taunted him.

To her surprise, instead of getting angry, the Akuma smirked and flicked his foot to the left. She heard cracks and debris fall. Looking back at the ball, she saw it was turning towards her! Deciding not to take a chance, Ladybug swung herself away from it. She took twists and turns but to no avail, the ball was still following her.

"There's no place to run Ladybug! Just give up and hand over your miraculous!"

 _At this rate, I won't be able to summon Lucky Charm. What to do…what to do_ — _Ah! I got it!_

She stopped swinging and landed on the ground. She ran like lightning. Once she got a little ways away, Ladybug spun around and threw her yo-yo at the ball. She thanked her aim when it wrapped around it, successfully. She tugged on the string and spun around, the ball was pulled around her. Once it made a complete 360, she let it go and watched it fly right at the Akuma.

He jumped up and over the ball. It zoomed past him and into the wall. He growled at her, "You'll pay for that!"

She took this moment to analyze him. Looking for anywhere the Akuma might be, she saw nothing that stood out. _Where is it?!_ There was no trinket of any kind. Nothing that stood out. _Other than the ball, but that_ — _wait...could it be? If so, then I had it in my hands for a mon_ — _Ugh! Let's try this._

"Lucky Charm!" she launched her yo-yo in the air and light gathered around it.

The object fell into her hands. It was a pair of goalie gloves. Ladybug glanced at the Akuma. The world slowed down and turned gray. She saw the gloves flash, Marcos flash, and the football flash. The plan was simple and easy to carry out.

She saw a flash of gold zooming at her and ducked out the way. She slipped on the pair before dodging again. She watched it fly back over to him. The player kicked it up harmlessly for a few seconds. "Let's see you dodge this, bug!" the ball bounced off his knee and soared into the air. He leaped after it and rolled in the air. The ball gradually grew in size before he kicked it her way. The damnable thing was still expanding leaving her no room to flee.

Ladybug flecked her fingers and shifted her stance. "Oh, I'm not going to dodge it," she smirked and held out her arms. The ball slammed into her hands at an alarming speed. Her classmates shouted in horror as their view of her was blocked. The ball pushed her across the floor with ease. She dug her heels in the blacktop and gritted her teeth. _Come'on, come'on!_ She pushed back as hard as she could. The spinning ball countered. Her arms were shaking from the pressure.

Ladybug glanced behind her and noticed she was heading straight for another brick wall. She glared ahead, pushing forward, and burying the balls of her toes in the ground. Her eyes were shut tight as she ground to a slow stop. She only opened them when she felt her heel lightly touch the wall. The massive ball came to a complete stop. She took her hands off it and flopped back against the wall.

Knowing full well that neither the students or the villain could see her, she held her hand over her heart and caught her breath. Her hands were shaking at the adrenaline boost. Marinette looked at the football looming over her. Now how was she supposed to destroy _this_? If only Chat was there, then this battle could be over.

"Ladybug!" she tensed at the agony in Alya's voice as she called out. The akuma cackled while she heard the screaming of her classmates.

 **BEEP**

She cursed under her breath at the bad timing. What could she do? She had the object her, but no way of destroying it. It's not like she could punch it or claw it open. _I need to contact Chat!_ She grabbed her yo-yo and glanced around before noticing how close the railing was. She could swiftly get up there without anyone noticing.

 **BEEP**

She threw her yo-yo and allowed herself to get pulled out of there. She landed quietly and saw the ball starting to shrink. "One hero down, another to go." She backed away before running around the corner to the Library.

 **BEEP**

The hero pushed the doors open and tumbled inside as her miraculous warned her. It sped up as she closed the doors behind her and slumped against them. No one was in the library as she slid down.

 **BEEP, BEEP**

Her eyes dilated and she slapped her hand over her earrings. Without any warning, she transformed back in a flash of pink light. Marinette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She turned to see her kwami floating in front of her.

"I'm sorry Marinette." Tikki apologized.

"It's alright, let's get you charged up." She slid the lucky charm off her hands and brought her purse up in her lap.

She opened her purse to get a cookie for her kwami. To her horror, there was none in there _. I knew I had some in here!_ She always made sure to keep a stash on her, but today there was none in there. Instead, there sat the pills that she was given. She considered for a moment, but shook her head and looked away. Tsuna had told her to use them when she was ready. She was far from ready or willing to take them. With the lack of a food source and her partner, she was forced to improvise.

"We'll have to get to the cafeteria and find some sweets."

Receiving a nod, she watches Tikki fly into her purse. Marinette stuffed the charm her bag as she stood up, surveyed the room, and ran out. Once she was close enough to the gym area, she ducked down and crawled. She decided to take a peek and see how her friends were doing. They were huddled together. She nearly squeaked in anger when she saw Chloé hugging Adrien for 'Comfort'. To her ultimate surprise, she saw Reborn in there. She didn't think he had the capacity to get caught. They made eye contact and she didn't see a smirk on his face as usual. He pulled his fedora out and placed it on his unruly hair, pulling it down over his eyes.

Leon crawled out his sleeve and began to glow. _Oh no! The Dying Will bullet! I don't want to embarrass myself!_

She crawled back, hoping not to get shot by him, and she bumps into something. Or…someone. Her eyes trailed up and she saw the Akuma staring down at her.

"Eek!" she leaped away but was grabbed by her waist.

"I finally found you, Marinette." his voice, that was cold, was surprisingly warmer.

 _Wait…what if this is about me rejecting him?_ She thought her rejection was gentle enough. Maybe she did something wrong and had no idea? At first, she assumed it was due to the showdown. But if she was being honest, the whole thing was strange in the first place. He approached Adrien to challenge him for unknown reasons. A stirring in her stomach warned her that maybe…just maybe he found out about her crush on the model. Without any warning, he jumped onto the gym floor, holding her close. Marinette finally pushed him away and staggered back.

"Marinette!" she heard Alya yell in panic.

Looking at her friend, she gave a reassuring nod and stared back at the akuma. "Marcos! You can't do this! You're our friend! I know it's hard to accept, but you—"

He reared his head back and laughed. "Marcos?! Who's that? I'm Stellar Mark!"

Shaking her head, "You have to come to your senses, Marcos!"

He snapped his head her way and glared, "I said, I'm Stellar Mark!" he growled and stomped his foot down. The ball next to him bounced up and mimicked the action. His hands curled into fists. The loudness of his voice made her flinch back. She heard pained gasps and saw the ball tightening on her classmates.

"Marcos! Stop it! Don't hurt them!" she cried out.

Saying his name only angered him more and he continued tightening the large sphere. Her brain refused to function properly when she heard Adrien cry out in pain. Her mind went wild with panic. _I have to do something! I can't just stand here! But I can't transform either! Wait a minute…_ Marinette grabbed her purse and opened it. Digging inside, she grabbed the pills that Tsuna gave her. Before she pulled out her hand, Tikki tugged on her finger and shook her head.

"I…I have to do something.." Marinette whispered.

Her kwami kept shaking her head, knowing full well that she couldn't use them this soon. Getting aggravated, Marinette reached her other hand in and pried Tikki off her finger. She held the pills in an iron grip and closed the purse, not before mouthing an 'I'm sorry'.

She stared at the container full of the pills and thought of her Uncle's words and her promise.

"I'm sorry…but I have no choice."

Flicking the lid up she dumped two pills into her hand and braced herself. _Let's see how far Ladybug's luck can take me._

* * *

Gritting his teeth in pain, Adrien tried to figure out how he could get out of this sticky situation. These close quarters with Chloé were not something he wished to experience. He saw panic in Marinette's eyes and felt his stomach turn. That expression didn't suit her well. _Did she pull out pills? What does she need those for?_ He didn't know why he felt uneasy about them. She opened the top and put two in her hand. Adrien noticed her hesitated before downing them.

For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, she dropped the pills and some spilled out onto the ground. Marinette gripped her head in pain. Her eyes shut tight.

Alya saw this and shouted out to her, "Marinette!?"

The akuma looked at Marinette and the ball enlarged itself again. Adrien was worried. _What was in those pills?_ He found new determination to get out of his prison and help her out. _Where did Ladybug go?_

"Dame-Mari, taking those before you're ready…" he heard tiny child mumble.

Adrien glanced at the baby and nearly fell back. _Why does he have a gun!?_ He shook his head and tried to be logical. It was probably fake. Instead, he asked the infant what he meant. The child— _what was his name again?_ —looked at him and his heart fell. The baby's expression was unreadable but he still felt a twist in his gut. Those pills...there was something extremely wrong with them. He could feel it. He heard an anguished cry and saw Marinette now on her knees. Clutching her head like it might fall off. Her eyes were shut tight as her body trembled. Adrien gasped and ran towards the edge of the ball. His fist collided with the surface. He had to transform now! Identity be damned—

A piercing scream shot through the air and his vision was assaulted by a burning orange light

It happened in a blink of a second, but he swore that he saw some fire spark from Marinette before the world was engulfed in it. Behind him, the kids scrambled and screamed. In front of him was a forest of flames that danced in time with the painful screams. It raged on and on. Growing with each passing second. The villain, Stellar Mark, seemed fearful as well. He took a step back. His eyes were unsure of what to do. Hawkmoth's symbol flickered over his eyes before fading down.

She was still screaming. Adrien's insides squirmed at the sound. It didn't belong. He was used to her small giggles and laughs, hell even her stuttering. The scream made him feel pained. If he wasn't stuck in here, if he had been able to transform, he could've prevented the use of…whatever those things were and he didn't have to hear her cries of pain, she wouldn't have to feel the pain. Adrien never wanted to hear such a sound coming from his classmate ever again. Never again.

Suddenly, the fire dimmed down. It faded down until only tiny flames flickered on the concrete ground. Marinette was finally revealed behind the curtains of orange. Her hands were at her sides and her face was angled downward. Her eyes were shielded by her bangs. The strangely familiar thing was the small flame that danced on her forehead.

Just for a moment, all was still. The scared students behind him were now whispering to each other. He looked over at Alya. The girl had long dropped her phone. She was just was pressed up against the prison's walls as he was. Her eyes were fixated on Marinette.

"Mari…" he heard her whisper.

Then, Chloé suddenly gasped and pointed. He looked back and saw that Marinette had pushed herself up. Her eyes were revealed to be a solid glowing orange. Just like the flames around her. Her mouth was scrunched up into a snarl as her fists curled in on themselves.

"Oh no, That villain…did he do something to her!?" he heard Rose speculate frantically. The girl was clutching close to Juleka in fear _. No…it was those pills_. They had been the reason for this unearthly change _. Where is Ladybug?_

The fire on top of her head exploded. Growing larger than her and spreading towards the ceiling. Her hands opened and were filled with two round balls of fire. As quick as lightning, she flicked them towards the large football that encased them. Everyone scrambled back. Everyone except for the child. The two fireballs wrapped around the surface. They both left thin strings in their wake. Then, Marinette pulled on those flaming threads. Fire sliced through the surface and the prison fell. They were now free, but those strings left a ring of fire around them.

The fireballs reminded him strongly of his Lady's yo-yo _. Could it be?...No way it can't be._ The thought was forcibly removed. Those things flew back towards their owner. One of them even had the pleasure of flying by him. He could feel the warmth radiating off of them. It was like tasting a ray of sunlight before it was gone. They flew back into her hands as she turned on Stellar Mark. The guy took a step back before Hawkmoth was shown to talk to him. His expression was forcibly changed to one of anger. Mark bounced his football in front of him as it grew. He quickly hopped onto it as he was taken up.

Marinette didn't seem to like the boy's attempt to escape. She threw one fire yo-yo at him. Mark swerved out the way. She threw the other one and he swerved back. A growl escaped her pink lips as she willed them back. With the "yo-yos" now in her hands, she tightened her grip and slammed them together. They combine to form one. The new "yo-yo" is then hung by a fiery string at her side. It gently rolls up and down.

The new yo-yo was strange. It had a lighter orange in their center. It seemed to be forming letters. An X and I, XI. Spinning around it were three points. It was hard to make out exactly what they were. Considering the fact that, everything was fire. Marinette rolled her fire-yo (or whatever) back up into her hand before throwing it straight Stellar Mark. He flew up to avoid the shot. However, Adrien noticed the smirk on his friend's face. The yo-yo didn't miss, instead, it wrapped around the football. The fire, already on the ball, extinguished and was replaced by the orange flames. The orange flames started to have red and yellow in them. It burned and the ball just…

 _ **POP**_

Exploded, it exploded. Adrien watched as a black butterfly was revealed. It seemed to burn with the remains of the ball. Until…Until he saw an orange bug fly away from the fire. _Just like with Ladybug._ It fluttered away and he swore he saw a small flame flicker on it's flapping wings.

Stellar Mark fell to the ground as purple bubbles engulfed him. Leaving behind a sore football player. The yo-yo flew back into her hand before it evaporated. Marinette stood there as the fire in her eyes and on her head dimmed down. Before long, the fire was completely extinguished. Marinette stood still for a second before she leaned forward and backward. The girl then fell down onto the cold ground. The action roused for the crowd to move.

Adrien was the first to get to her side. He carefully held her up. Her chest was moving up and down. A fact that gave him relief. His friend was ok. She was alive. It seemed that she was only asleep. Alya was the second to reach her. She sprinted towards her friend with a shout.

"Marinette!" the blogger grasped the unconscious girl's hand and cried. Nino came up behind her and place a hand on the crying girl's shoulder. The rest crowded around them. All wore scared and worried expressions. Even Chloé, who had the child sitting on her shoulder. The girl didn't seem to notice at all. The kid jumped down and strolled over.

He placed a tiny hand on Marinette's forehead and spoke, "We need to get her to a hospital, the flames may be gone, but she's extremely weak right now." No one questioned the baby at all. Nino called for the ambulance. Many questions were buzzing in his skull, but Adrien decided to wait before asking. Now was not the time.

* * *

 _BEEP…BEEP…_

The sound of the heart monitor had never been more comforting. Adrien and the child stood in the room where Marinette laid. Her hair was free of her pigtails and she had breathing tubes in her nose. She laid there, asleep. _Like Sleeping Beauty._ There was a vase of flowers by her bed. Alya, Nino, and her parents had visited earlier. Adrien was worried for his friend and was trying to wrap his head around the flames that came out of her. They were so similar to Ladybug. He looked at the floor. _If only I had transformed sooner…_

"Don't blame yourself, Dame-Adrien." a squeaky voice suddenly spoke. Adrien glanced at the silent infant with wide eyes and the kid continued, "What's done has been done."

"But if I hadn't gotten caught then, none of this would've happened!" he countered.

"We can't change the past. You have to accept this outcome and move on." the kid directed a sharp gaze at him, "Mopping around won't get her out of that hospital bed."

Adrien opened his mouth before closing it again. The child had a point. He shouldn't mope and sulk around. It won't change anything. But what else could he do? He looked on at the sleeping beauty. What was he supposed to do?

"Get stronger." He snapped his head towards the kid. "The best thing would be to get stronger. To prevent this from happening again."

 _He's right._ "Yeah…stronger…I can do that."

The kid smirked and tilted his hat. "I'll say…those flames were pretty powerful. She may even surpass Dame-Tsuna."

"Do you know anything about that fire she produced?"

The baby seemed to pause, contemplating something. "Those were…Dying Will Flames."

"Dying Will Flames?" Adrien remembered when Ladybug had said something about saving him with her dying will.

"Dying Will Flames," the child repeated, "They are basically a very high-density form of energy that is refined from one's own life force" At that Adrien nearly choked, _Life Force?!_ "The Flames resonates with someone's emotions. It's sort of like…an aura of some kind. But they are in many ways more alike to a real flame. Even possessing their very own destructive properties. Everyone has flames." the kid explained.

He was surprised. Adrien glanced down at his hands. He thought about the various people he met. He couldn't imagine it. His father, bodyguard, Alya, Nino…Ladybug…all had a special flame within them? But he couldn't deny it. The evidence was laying in front of him.

"So...that…that was Marinette's Flame?" he speculated the child nodded with a hum. Thinking back to Ladybug, Adrien swallowed hard and asked, "Is…Is it possible…Is it possible for people to have the same flame then?"

"Yes…and no."

Adrien rose an eyebrow, "No? How so?"

"To put it simply, there are 7 flames of the sky. Cloud, Mist, Lightning, Rain, Sun, Storm, and Sky. Sky being the rarest. So…two people can have the sky flame, but they won't be the exact same."

"How is that possible?"

"The flames are differentiated on how pure they are. No one can have the same pure level flame. They're unique. So those two people may have the same flame, but one is likely purer than the other."

Adrien guessed that made sense. He didn't really understand how everyone could have these special flames within in. He wondered how someone—how Marinette called them forward. _Those pills_ …He remembered. Was there really a substance that could bring the flames from within out?

"So…what flame was that?" he decided to ask instead of those other _burning_ questions. Something told him that the child wouldn't answer them. At least not at the moment.

There was another pause, "The flame on Dame-Mari was the Sky flame. They are classified by color. The Sky is orange; Storm, red; Rain, blue; Sun, yellow; Lightning, green; Mist, indigo; And Cloud, purple."

 _Those colors, they're almost like…like_ —"Like the Rainbow."

The kid chuckled and grinned, "So you _are_ smart."

There was an irritated twitch in Adrien's eyebrow. "What made you think I wasn't?"

"…I have my reasons. I already told you enough. So no more questions. Oh, and another thing, " the child glanced at Adrien. "You can't tell anyone about these flames, got it, Chat Noir?"

Adrien flinched and the baby smirked. "Whaat! Me? Chat Noir?" he let out a fake laugh, "What a very active imagination you have!" he defaulted to denying the notion. _How does he know?!_

"It was obvious." _Was it?! Is it!?_ "Very Obvious. It's what makes you and Ladybug so idiotic. Not being able to tell who each of you are underneath those masks. But it's not like you make it easy on yourself either, with all your lying. I guess I'll just have to be extra hard when training you."

 _Wait_ —"Does that mean, you know who Ladybug is?"

His smirk grew. "Didn't I say no more questions?"

"Yes but-" there was a chill in the room.

"Then no more questions."

Adrien wanted to argue. He wanted to so badly, but he couldn't find it in himself. It certainly wasn't fear that drove him not to. This was just a child. There was no way he was scared of an infant. Right?

"Well, since Dame-Mari got lucky enough to skip out on training. Maybe I should start yours." the child spouted nonsense before jumping from his seat. Adrien watched as he strolled through the door. Something about that kid wasn't right.

"Wait!" the kid stopped and cocked his head to the side. A gleaming onyx eye stared right through him. Adrien gulped, a chill ran down his spine. "Who are you?" he finally asked.

"Home tutor and World's Strongest Hitman, Reborn."

* * *

 **Ciao-su~**

 **Final Edit 6-20-18**


	9. After Hours

**Fellow Americas…happy independence day! Continue to fight the good fight guys. Even if it seems impossible! I also take this time to remind you guys to Vote! Especially if you don't like what's happening now. That is all.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own KHR nor Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. I mean…as much as I would love a very own Reborn for myself…I'd think…I'd rather pass. I don't need to die early.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: After Hours**

* * *

Marinette was still stuck in the hospital.

But there was no reason…

No reason for this _infant_ to stay with him. Her parents could care for him! But no! He's here! Giving Adrien hell.

Ok, it wasn't too bad in the beginning. It was actually all good in the beginning. Reborn had told Marinette's parents that he would be 'training' Adrien in Marinette's absence. Whatever that meant. The girl's father had laughed at it, while her mother gave him a hug like he was being sent to war. The hug he hesitantly accepted. It had been a while since he had one from a mother figure. It made him wonder why she looked him dead in the eye and told him good luck in Chinese. Did she know what the baby meant? Nevertheless, he decided not to dwell on it and worry about how to explain the child to his father. The thing was…he never did. He _was_ going to but never got the chance. Every time Nathalie came to check on him, giving him a chance to explain the situation, the baby was miraculously missing…So Adrien opted to keep Reborn a secret. It wasn't like it would be the first thing he kept from his father and the assistant nor would it be the last.

So all was good until it was 3 in the morning and he awoke to a mallet. A Mallet! Adrien, tired, snapped at the child and regretted it ever since. Since he was a child. He probably was just playing with the mallet and accidentally whacked him _. Really hard._ So, maybe he shouldn't have yelled at him. However, at the time, sleep was way more precious than his small guilt. So, after scolding at the baby, he fell right back to sleep. Only to find himself awoken at 3:30 with grenades tied around him. His first thought was… _I'm going to DIE!_ And he proceeded to regret everything. From the too many puns thrown at his Lady to never getting the chance to actually find out who she was, marry her, live in a lovely home, have three children, and a cat.

To his surprise, he saw Reborn standing on his nightstand, wearing cute pink little pajamas and a hat with a pushdown detonator. He had never feared for his life that bad before. Adrien had tried to convince the child to get him out of there or step away from the detonator. In the end, he failed and got himself blown up, but to his ultimate surprise, it wasn't as bad as he assumed. It hurt, yes, however it didn't act like a real grenade. Real grenades destroy everything and kill things, people, and cause irreversible damage. The grenades that he was unlucky enough to be strapped with only left black stains everywhere. It was like a fire raged in his room and burned everything. Soot was found on his bed, ceiling, and on him. His hair was ruined. It would've been a hay day trying to explain the stains to Nathalie and his father. He could see the interaction now.

 _"Adrien, what happened to your room?"_

 _"Oh nothing, I was just awoken by what I think is a crazy infant with grenades. Nothing out of the normal."_

 _"Oh? If that's the case, you have a shoot this afternoon."_

Like that would ever happen. He would've been in so much trouble. Thankfully, the marks on him washed away in the shower. The water under him turned all black, leaving him all clean. It made him happy he was clean yet disgusted him at the same time. His bed, however, he decided that he would just replace the sheets. He had enough time to wash the soot from the walls and sneak his ruined sheets into the laundry room.

Now completely awake, Adrien decided to have breakfast early. Even Reborn encouraged the action. Together (Adrien decided to keep a safe distance from the kid) they waltz to the kitchen. Both of them raided the shelves and fridge before fleeing. Adrien made sure to grab cheese for Plagg. Speaking of Plagg, if the kid had any doubts about his identity (which he didn't) they were quickly extinguished. The two practically got along well. Like old buds that hadn't seen each other in years. They talked a lot, mostly full of smirks and snickers. They constantly looked at each other as if they shared some big secret. The worst thing was that Reborn shared Plagg's love of cheese(to a certain extent). Especially for Camembert. When that was revealed to Adrien, he cursed all his bad luck. Now his room literally smelled like a bag of moldy cheese.

So at 3:30 he was blown up and after he rid himself of the stains, Adrien was forced outside to jog to the school, The Dupain-Cheng bakery, then back home. Only to do it once again. At first, the model refused to do such a task. He may be Chat Noir, but such a task in the morning, right after he had been blown up, was not something he desired to do. He was then shot at, making him run anyway. He wondered if Marinette had to deal with this. He could not imagine his petite classmate booking it down the streets of Paris with a crazy baby on her heels. No, she probably just looked after him as if he was Manon. At least that's what he was trying to tell himself.

After finishing that task, it was nearly 5. The actual time in which he was supposed to get up and get ready. Something that he was already done with. Then came "Breakfast" which was an unknown blessing in disguise. Due the mysterious shortage, he was allowed to go out to eat. He guessed the Reborn was good for something. So after the model gratefully stuffed his face a second time, Adrien had to go to a photo shoot that morning. He had hoped the car would be safe. But no, Reborn had found his way to come along. The worst thing is…the kid got to ride passenger seat. How? He fooled his chauffeur. How? The baby dressed up like his father's assistant! It took all of Adrien not to fall on the car's floor when the Gorilla had let the baby in! It made him wonder how people were so easily fooled by that.

Once they were at the shoot, he was safe. Nothing bad happened to him. Other than having to pose in many different positions with a large, aching smile. But that was the norm. The best yet unnerving thing was that Reborn was nowhere to be found. Best, because the baby was absolutely crazy. Unnerving, because he felt responsible for the kid. What would happen if he lost him? He feared that Marinette would get out of the hospital and hate him when she found out he lost the kid that was staying with her. That would ruin the friendship they had.

Around his lunch break, Reborn showed back up again. He expected more bombs or running exercises, but nothing like that came. Instead, he was given more food! The child had seen his lunch and gave him a look of pity. Reborn dumped a _Bento_ in his lap. It made his weeabo heart cry fat crocodile tears. So as he ate his food with gratitude, Reborn informed him on something strange.

"I'm going to have a someone, from Italy, come and teach you swordsmanship." he simply stated.

 _Swordsmanship?_ "But, I'm already in fencing...and besides you would have to talk with Nathalie about that and so far she doesn't know you're...'staying' over my house," Adrien argued.

Reborn just smirked. Adrien felt a small shiver run down his back before shaking it off. He kept telling himself that he had no reason to fear Reborn. But the evidence, so far, says otherwise. But no...he could not fear a baby. He was Chat Noir! He fought weird and crazy villains [recklessly] on a daily basis. This should be nothing. But it wasn't.

The rest of that day passed with more explosions. Reborn ended up using his modeling to quote on quote 'Train' him. He had strike a pose, without moving too much or else something would explode. How his photographer allowed it? Easy, Reborn was dressed as a certain famous photographer and claimed that the 'lights' (as he called them) would make the photos livelier. And livelier it made it. He never felt more alive once he survived it. His hair had never been frizzier.

Adrien flopped on his bed, he had nothing else to do. The school was closed. Ladybug hadn't used her Lucky Charm, so all the damage was still there. _Speaking of Ladybug, I wonder what happened to her_. _That large ball hit her and she just disappeared._ Her Luck charm had disappeared along with her. Everyone was waiting for her to come and fix things. But no one knew how long that will take. _Maybe she had an extra extreme emergency- No she wouldn't just leave like that._

"Get up." A squeaky voice called him from his thoughts. Adrien groaned and looked at the baby. "We still have more training to do."

"Training?! All those things you did was training?! For what?! I can take care of myself during Akuma attacks, just fine!" Adrien huffed.

"If you call getting injured or controlled by the enemy, fine." Reborn hopped up on the bed and stood next to him. "Besides, you need to be strong for the Famiglia."

"What family?" he finally asked.

Reborn just smirked at him. "Oh, so you do remember what it means."

Adrien's eyebrows twitched in irritation. "What family?" He asked again, trying not to let his irritation seep into his voice.

"A very influential family." Reborn simply stated.

"Who-"

He was cut off. "You ask too many questions."

"This baby is so stubborn" Adrien grumbled under his breath.

"Get up, let's see how smart you really are." Reborn pulled out a thick packet.

Adrien groaned and finally got up. He heard Plagg snickering while eating his camembert. He glared at the kwami as he chuckled at his misery, "You're enjoying this way too much."

"It's better than you going on about Ladybug. And besides...this will useful in the near future." Plagg stated as if he knew more than he let on.

 _In the near future?_ "You know something, don't you?"

Plagg paused and stared at Adrien, before smirking. "I cannot confirm or deny that I know anything."

Letting out another groan, Adrien trudged over to his desk and flopped in the chair. They went at it for hours. Luckily, there were no explosions or bullets. Instead, it was a paper fan. Every time he got a question wrong, Adrien was whacked by the fan. He mostly got hit when he did the Italian and English sections. Finally, around 10 o'clock, he finished the large packet. That's when he remembered the patrol. He should get out.

Maybe he'll see Ladybug.

Reborn had told him that today's 'Training' was over and he was free to patrol. Adrien never felt happier leaving that Mansion. The wind in this blonde locks felt so soothing. Especially after all he had to go through today. To his dismay, however, he didn't find his beloved spotted lady. Adrien-Chat Noir landed on the Eiffel Tower and surveyed all of Paris. Still no sign of Ladybug. He sighed and sat on the railing. Chat decided to use this time to think about what had happen during the attack again.

 _Where did she go? Did something happen to her?_ The kitty was worried. He was completely useless during the attack. He would feel extremely guilty if something awful happened to her. He already felt awful about Marinette. His thoughts drifted from his Lady to his injured classmate. Sweet, shy Marinette. She had exhausted her 'life-force' for them. The thought made him shiver. It was a hero's job to risk their life for the civilians, not the civilians. What kind of hero was he to let that happen?

 _Those flames. Reborn said that everyone has a flame. According to him, she has Sky Flames. But, going off the information he gave me about them, Ladybug has them as well. It makes me wonder what my flame could be._ He glanced down at his claws. He wondered what color flame would dance out of him. How does one even activate these flames? Chat Noir let out a sigh and gazed up at the full moon. _Where are you Ladybug?_ He tried calling her but the mysterious beauty never answered. As he scanned the world around him, his eyes shifted to the hospital that stood tall in the distance. _Maybe it wouldn't hurt to pay a visit._

With that in mind, he bounded across the rooftops to the hospital. When he was near, the cat landed on the roof of the building next door. Chat looked up at the various windows, searching for Marinette's. It wasn't like he could walk in, asking for a visit. It was after 10, visiting hours were long gone. And he wasn't about to use his hero privileges _. Besides the press would have a hay day as to why one of the heroes would want to visit a hospitalized pretty girl._ Luckily there was a window open and with the light on. The pink curtain blew in the breeze. He decided to start with that. If he was lucky it would he hers. If not then, this would be very awkward.

Taking his trusty Baton out, Chat extended himself up to the windows height. He peered inside and saw Marinette sitting up in her bed. Her hair loose. A sight he liked very much. He thanked his (un)lucky paws that this was the right window. He wore his Chat Noir swagger before he leaned forward and leaped inside.

* * *

Marinette was admiring the flowers she was given when Chat decided to roll in. Startled, she nearly grabbed the nearest thing (a vase) and threw it at him. Nearly. The temptation to do it was still there. Glaring at the tomcat, she spoke in a raspy tone. "What are you doing here, Chat?"

"A little birdie informed me that my Princess was hurt. I came to check on you." the superhero smirked.

She placed the vase back and crossed her arms, "Well, I'm fine now, just exhausted."

"Are you sure, Princess? I heard things got pretty _heated._ "

Now that she thought about it. She barely remembered what happened. All she remembered was seeing orange and pain. Excruciating pain. At first, it felt as if her body was self-destructing. As if every bone had shattered. Then it felt like something was being forcefully sucked out of her. Like all her energy was depleting rapidly. Then she felt a sudden rush of power overwhelm her. Her body had moved on its own. She didn't know if she had been Ladybug or not. But she felt the constant brush of her yoyo in her palms. The visuals were a blur, but the sensations were still there.

 _It was awful. I should've listened to Uncle Tsuna and Tikki._

The secret superhero got an earful from her kwami when she woke up. It was dangerous, but she couldn't see another way. Alya was hurt, Nino was hurt and Adrien was hurting was well. And she had no way to charge Tikki up. So transforming wasn't an option. She had [foolishly] hoped her Ladybug luck would work. _I guess it's not ok to count on Luck all the time._

Marinette sighed, "Yeah, I heard as well…"

The cat gave her a confused look. "You mean you don't remember."

"I do…somewhat." Marinette twilled with her thumbs. "All I remember is seeing orange."

She decided not to mention the pain. She had already burden more people with worry. She just wanted to move passed this and fix everything. Ladybug had left the scene way to early. It must've looked like she ran. When the reality was the hero was stuck in the hospital due to her foolishness. The only positive thing was that Reborn was nowhere to be seen. A horrific thought crossed her mind. _What if he went to inform Tsuna!?_ She didn't want to make the man upset with her. He strictly told her not to use them too early. Now, look at her.

"Are you sure that's all you remember? Your throat sounds as hoarse as a crow."

"Well then, caw caw to you too Chat." she giggled harshly and started coughing.

She felt a hand on her back, "Whoa, whoa princess. I know I'm devilishly good-looking, but there's no need to choke."

Marinette couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face. Calming herself down, she tried once again, "Devilishly good-looking? Ha! In your dreams!"

"I'll have you know, I look good in and out of my dreams." She laughed lightly at him. Trying not to strain her throat. Marinette stopped when she saw a clear glass of water in her face. The nurse had poured her a glass, but she never got around to drink it. "Here, you should really drink up."

Marinette looked up at Chat, then back at the glass. "Thank you-" she grabbed it, her fingers brushing his.

There was a spark and her fingers felt on fire from the contact. It felt like that time in the rain with Adrien. The fire spread up and through her, before settling in her cheeks. Which were probably burning red. Confused at the familiar contact, Marinette quickly took the glass and pulled her hand away. _What is wrong with you Marinette?! Calm down!_ She took a swig of her water and instantly felt a little bit better.

"Thank you, Chat." her voice was still hoarse but it felt better than before.

His ears twitched to her secret amazement. "You're welcome, your Highness."

She giggled, "Thanks for visiting me. It's was nice. You make pretty nice company." she felt her face heat up more, she tried to shake it off and smirked playfully before adding, "Visiting me like this, you can really make a girl feel special." Marinette smiled and looked at her flowers, totally missing the blush that bloomed on Chat's face.

"If the Princess should allow, maybe I shall visit more."

She smirked and looked at Chat, "I'll consider it, Minou." she tagged the nickname on the end. She was still smiling, but her mind was running wild. Marinette Dupain-Cheng didn't give Chat Noir nicknames at all! They were never close enough for that. _He did call me princess…so I guess it's payback._

The two sat through the night and chatted. Chat Noir apologized for not being there. He gave no excuse as to why he wasn't. Instead, he displayed his deep remorse for his absence. It warmed her heart, but she reminded him that it was fine. Superheroes were human after all. They couldn't help what got in their way. She just hoped that everyone else thought that too. They went back and forth with light banter. It closely resembled the kind they used in battle. That fact made her nervous that he would figure it out.

Their conversation was interrupted by that familiar sound. A light knocking on her door. The two looked at the door with matching frowns. From behind the door, a voice was heard, "Marinette?" she gasped. _Uncle Tsuna._

"Just a minute!" she called out and look back at Chat.

The cat looked confused for a second but gave her a small smile. "Well, I guess it's time we part ways, Princess." he whispered.

She nodded, "I'll see you around, Chat Noir." he gave her a swift nod before vaulting out the window. Marinette didn't know why, but she felt relieved and disappointed he left. He was a nice guy, when he wasn't flirting as much. Maybe she was just imagining the spark that she felt and her disappointed. There's no way she would ever feel those feelings for Chat like she did with Adrien. It just didn't work that way. Right? She felt unsure. Well if there was one thing she was sure about, it was that she was already wondering when the stray cat would come to visit her yet again.

The heroine looked at the door way and sighed, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal her uncle. He was dressed in a simple orange hoodie with a white 27 over the heart. He had sunglasses over his eyes and a white cap over his hair. The male pushed his sunglasses up off his eyes and grinned.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything?" something told her that he knew Chat had been there. Marinette blushed and shook her head. Tsuna hummed before sighing. His grin dropped as he pulled his hat and sunglasses off. He walked towards her and sat down a chair. "Reborn informed me of what happened."

"I'm sorry, Tsuna." she looked down in shame.

"You should be," she flinched at the honesty, "that was an extremely dangerous thing to do. You could've done some irreversible damage." There was a pause before he sighed again, "However, I understand why you did. It wasn't a good thing, but I'll give you a pass this time."

She gasped and looked at him with bright eyes. "Really!?"

"Yep, however, I don't want to hear another occasion like this again."

She nodded her head with such vigor, "Of course!" she was so glad that he wasn't too upset with her. _Oh, that reminds me…_ "Hey, Tsuna?" he tilted his head and hummed. "On one of my patrols…I witnessed some one try to sell secrets about Vongola."

"I know. One of our agents, Pavoni, informed me of Ladybug's…" interference" as she called it. I've handled it accordingly." _Of course, he did. He's a Mafia boss for crying out loud._

"I guessed that much, but he had claimed that he had "special" information. I wonder…you don't think that he meant…" she let the silence speak for itself.

Tsuna shook his head. "The only ones who know about my connection to you are my Guardians and Reborn." She sighed in relief. That man must've been bluffing or lying if that was the case. _How despicable._ Suddenly, she felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw the smiling face of her uncle. "And even if he did know…I'd protect you. Don't worry." She could see the genuine look in his eyes.

Marinette grinned, "I know."

Suddenly there was a loud click. Both of them turned to look at the source and saw one of the nurses coming in. She wore a pink uniform. She had curly raven hair. It was long and tied back into a high ponytail. She had sparkling green eyes that reminded Marinette of a doll. Covering them were a pair of glasses. For some reason, she looked _very_ familiar. Her name tag gleamed in the light, "Lucia" it read.

"Oh my, Sorry to interrupt. But visiting hours have ended." She politely informed them.

Marinette turned to Tsuna. "Are you going to be flying back?"

He nodded, "I have paperwork to do, so I must." She felt pity for him. Having to do so much paperwork must've been exhausting. She watched her Uncle get up. He gave her one last ruffle in her hair before there was a gasp. They turned to the Nurse and saw that she had her hand over her mouth as she stared at Tsuna.

"Oh my God! You're Tsunayoshi Sawada! The leader of Vongola-" They both tensed, "Incorporated!" The woman squealed. They both released a sigh. Tsuna smiled at the woman before placing a finger over his lips. The universal sign of "Be Quiet".

"It's best we have my being here _not_ broadcasted, Mademoiselle."

Lucia giggled, "Of course, Sorry!" Marinette noticed how she batted her lashes and wanted to puke. "Oh! I feel awful for interrupting your visit with your _daughter_!"

Marinette's eyes narrowed at the obvious ploy. Everyone knew that Tsunayoshi Sawada, Vongola CEO (and mob boss), had no children. She was trying to get out the reason her Uncle was there and what their relationship was. By falsely labeling the situation, she's hoping for him to correct her. Though Marinette was confident that her Uncle was smart enough-

"Oh no, she's my niece." She slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Well, the family resemblance is definitely there!" _No, it's not._

Tsuna chuckled and looked back at her. "I'll be going now. Try not to over work yourself."

"I won't, Uncle Tsuna." she sang cheerfully even though on the inside she was slamming her head against the metaphorical wall.

"I'll escort you out, sir!" The nurse said a little too eagerly as she skipped over to Tsuna's side and held his arm hostage. Seeing the shy blush on her Uncle's face made her want to hurl again. Lucia winked and placed a finger over her lips. "And don't worry your secret is safe with me!"

Marinette had her doubts about that.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't consider myself very good at romantic scenes or fluffy stuff…so I hope the MariChat moment wasn't too lame. In other news, I am now on _ARCHIVES OF OUR OWN_ or AO3! I already started to upload my stories. CL will be up there soon! I thank you for you continued support and patience with me! **

**Ciao-su~**

 **Edited: 3-26-18**


	10. To be or not to be

**Time to move this story forward even more.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own KHR or ML**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: To be or not to be**

* * *

Far away and out of sight, there was a brunette strapped to a metal chair. Hidden inside a metal room. Not a window was in sight. The only light source were the fluorescent lights that shone down onto the room and it's occupants. Other than the poor man in the chair, there three others men. One stood tall with short black hair and a small scar on his chin. On his back was a case that seemed to be for a some-type of long piece of equipment. His hand was gripping the strap and on his finger was a silver ring with rain drops carved into it. On the left was a man with white hair shaped like an octopus. This man had a scowl on his features and seemed to be growling. He wore a large variety of rings, one similar to the tallest. Except with a storm cloud on it. Lastly, next to him was another white-haired male. He had a bandage over his nose, an old scar on the edge of his left eyebrow, and his hands were bandaged up as well. He also sported a silver ring, this time with a small sun on it. Each wore a black suit that had their own colored dress shirts underneath the jackets. The first, blue; the second, red; the last, yellow.

A deep angry voice growled, "Quit the bullshit and tell us what information you claimed to have!"

"I told you! I don't know anything! It was just a ploy to get more money!"

The three glared him down before the blue one turned away. He placed his finger over a Bluetooth that sat in his ear. "What do you think, Tsuna?" he spoke into it. There was silence before a static voice came through.

"He's lying."

Blue turned back to the prisoner with a glare. "Gokudera-kun. You heard the boss."

The red one grumbled before smirking at the brunette. He pulled out a box from his waist and slammed his fist on it. It opened and out came a large, flaming leopard. It growled before circling around the traitor. The man showed an eminent fear of the animal. He squirmed his seat as the creature came to a stop in front of him.

"Uri." the red one, Gokudera, silently commanded. Uri responded by propping her paws up onto the man's legs. She leaned into the man's face with a growl.

"Alright! Alright!" The man screeched. "It was about the possible successor to Vongola!"

Alarm was written over each of their faces. Uri jumped away from him as Blue came forward and grabbed the man by his shirt. "Who!? Who told you this!?" he demanded.

"I don't know their name! They sent me some pictures by email! The IP was untraceable!"

"What pictures?" Yellow inquired.

"It was of him talking to some Asian girl. I don't know!"

"Where are these pictures!?" Blue shook him.

"I printed them off!" Gokudera cracked his knuckles as Uri drew closer. "They're still in my apartment! I planned to sell the information!" he confessed.

Blue grumbled before pushing the man down. The traitor tipped over and fell onto the concrete ground. Blue turned to look at his partners. His hand went back to his ear. "What should we do, Tsuna?"

The man, Tsuna, was silent for a moment. Then he spoke with concern and worry in his voice. "Takeshi and Ryohei," the two straightened as they were addressed. "you two will go to Paris as planned. Hayato, I need you to retrieve those images and get Hibari on the phone."

The three gulped in unison, "H-Hibari?" Takeshi questioned.

"Why do we need him?" Ryohei asked.

"I fear danger is starting to close in. I can feel it." The man simply answered.

The three didn't question it any further. They all just nodded their heads with a quick "Yes, boss."

* * *

She was finally free!

Released!

Like a bird being released back into the wild! If her home counted as the wild. _Knowing how crazy the bakery gets, it's safe to say it is._ Marinette could finally go back home. The hospital had let her go, finally. Plus, that flirty nurse had kept her word. No one knew about Tsuna's visit. It made her feel guilty for doubting her. Everything seemed to be looking up. Now, all she had to do was use the Lucky Charm and her life would return to normal. _Sort of_. Ever since a certain hitman was introduced into her life, it would never be as normal as it was before. _Speaking of Reborn…_ She wondered where her 'tutor' could be right now...

* * *

"Say, How are you, in Italian!"

 **"How-how you is?"**

"Wrong."

"NO! I can get it! Give me another try-"

 _ **BOOM**_

* * *

She shrugged her shoulders. _Maybe he finally changed his mind about me being a Mafia boss. I hope so._ Marinette was ordered by the doctor (and Tsuna) to not overwork herself. They said she was still weak, so doing anything with a too much effort could make her come back. Which was not what was needed. Right now. Ladybug was needed. Of course, she would have to explain what happened and where she went next time Alya caught her, but she'll cross that bridge when she got to it.

Her parents stuck by her side the whole time when they finally got home. They didn't allow her to work on any projects. They made her stay in bed. Luckily, they soon left her alone, but then Alya swung by. Not that Marinette wasn't happy to see her friend, she just didn't want to be interrogated right now.

The girl questioned her about the flames that apparently appeared on her forehead. Marinette had played dumb and asked for her account of the whole event. She was told that she had burst into flames while screaming in pain. The girl told her that she had then kicked Stellar Mark's butt. She said that she had two weapons made of flames. When Marinette asked for an explanation of the weapons, Alya blanked. The only thing that she remembered about them was that they had strings. The remembrance of the sensation of feeling her yoyos came back to Marinette and filled in the blanks. So she apparently had fire yoyos. _Cool._

The only thing that bugged her was the fact that Alya had seen it. If Alya saw it, then so did Nino, Chloé, and her whole class. Including Adrien! _How great…_ In the end, Alya gave her a bone-crushing hug. Expressing her worries over her wellbeing ( _"It was crazy! I was so scared! I thought I was going to lose you, Mari!"_ ) and once again asking her about the flames. _Don't tell anyone._ Marinette continued to play clueless and Alya gave up. _No one._

"Don't worry, Alya. I'm not going anywhere. Anytime soon." She had sworn to her and herself. Making sure to never do that deadly stunt again until she was ready (If she ever got ready). After reassuring her friend, the girls talked and teased like normal. Alya ended up leaving around 9. Finally, she took this time to go and fix things.

Changing back into Ladybug never felt better. Of course the first couple of houses she stumbled and nearly fell. _I guess these past weeks really took a toll on me._ She found her rhythm and swung into the night. With the Lucky Charm in hand, she zipped to the top of the school. Ready to finish the job.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

She threw the item in the air and little ladybugs flew all over the city. She wanted to stay and watch Paris light up but decided against it. She was already feeling tired, so it would be unwise to stay any longer. Grudgingly, she swung back home and onto her terrace. She took a quick scan around the area before letting her transformation drop. Sighing, she stared up at the sky. The wind blew and caressed her round face. Marinette closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of peace. With Reborn around, she barely got any. _But seriously, where is that baby?!_ His absence made her worry.

* * *

"Stand still, Dame-Adrien! This will only hurt a lot."

"No! Plagg help!"

* * *

The night's events soon caught up to her and she felt dizzy once again. Gripping the railing of her terrace, she fought to balance herself _. Maybe going out this soon was a bad idea_. But alas it was too late, she had swung from building to building. Right after her doctor hand told her to not overwork herself.

"I guess jumping from rooftops is overworking it." she weakly laughed to herself.

"You should get inside and rest. You don't want to faint out here." Tikki floated by her, gently placing her tiny nubs on her cheek.

"Yeah, just…just let me stable myself for a minute." Marinette breathed.

It took more than a minute. She stood at the railing for at least 5 minutes to steady herself. She let out a sigh and tried to walk to her trapdoor. It was going fine. Until she reached the trap door. Her teapot had fallen and she was unlucky enough to trip over it. She used her arms to protect her face from the impact. It stung but compared to what she dealt with on a day to day basis, it was like pricking herself with a needle. Small and insignificant.

 _Stupid pot._

Groaning, she laid there. Sprawled out on the terrace. The wind blew, making her shiver. No, it was not a great idea to run around the roofs of Paris right after she was discharged. Stupid idea, even. She could've waited until the next day, but she didn't want to leave the school that way for any longer. Gaining some energy, she rolled herself onto her back and stared at the midnight sky. It was dark and vast. Endless. With many stars and many possibilities. Even when it was clouded by dark storm clouds that shot lightning bolts. Or when the sun's rays were scattered by the mist from the rain. It still was it's wide, vast self. Open to the birds and planes that flew up there. Even the magical superhero children-Ladybug and Chat Noir-were welcomed.

 _"The sky that embraces all."_

Tsuna had told her, that the sky welcomed everything and everyone. With open arms! As he put it. She couldn't understand how that worked. What if the sky embraced the wrong thing? What if it was broken by that thing? What would happen to the elements that were brought together by it? Would they die out? Disappear? Fade away like nothing? Or move on to a new sky? How can you even find a sky?

 _"Flames are classified by color. The Sky is orange…"_

Orange. That color that filled her vision. Did that mean she was this sky? The thing that was to accept all? That brought things together? Marinette couldn't imagine leading anyone. Sure, she was Class Rep. but that was different. Or was it? Maybe it wasn't? Besides, that's not her only job. She was Ladybug. The heroine that helped everyone, brought peace and saved people from others and themselves-well akuma wise. Those were things heroes…strong leaders did. So, maybe it made sense for her to possess such a flame.

 _"You may not know it now, but you also have people who gravitate around you."_

Gravitate around her? Who could possibly? Well, there's Alya-but she's can't possibly gravitate around her. Could she?

 _"No matter how mean or how nice, they'll be drawn to you."_

Maybe that's the reason that Chloé's so awful towards her? Other than her crush on Adrien. The designer closed her eyes and shook her head. That thought was crazier than it sounds. Chloé being drawn towards her because of some Sky- _What was it again?-_ Force? It was silly. Her thoughts drifted towards Vongola. The company and the mafia. The company was more or less just a legal cover, but the mafia family, Reborn told her that in the beginning, Vongola was a vigilante group. Heroes. But certain people came into power and made it a family with the ugliest, bloodiest history. That scared her. Was it still cruel? Bloody? Is that what it is nowadays?

 _"To protect the ones I love and the Innocent where the law cannot."_

That was right. It was being transformed as she thought. Her gentle uncle would never kill someone. It was now a mafia that helped people. Not hurt them. Still…the prospect of being the leader of such a big family frightened her. Could she do it? What if she turned into a Criminal and brought the bloodshed back? Could she carry the torch? Be able to protect those where the Law couldn't?

 _"Just like you do, when you fight those Akumas."_

 _HA!_ How could she forget? She does that already. Protecting those she love _and_ the innocent from Akumas. She was branded a hero for it. The police can't stop Akumas like her and Chat could. The law didn't protect people from turning or being attacked by an Akuma. But, it was just her and Chat. Not a group of people. A 'family'. It made her think. What kind of family did he mean? She couldn't-wouldn't even dare to bring her family into that kind of thing. Fighting? No, no way. She hadn't thought to ask him what family he meant. Thinking back on it, it would've been wise to ask.

"Marinette?" Tikki questioned. Cracking an eye open, she looked at the kwami. She looked concerned. "I've been calling you for a while."

"Oh? Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about?"

Marinette turned her attention towards the sky. "…Could I do it? Become a Mafia boss? I was so sure that Mafia encased all things evil. But, Tsuna is not evil! I don't want to believe that everything he's done was a façade. He's not like that." She reached up towards the stars as she continued, "At first, I was strictly against the idea of becoming one. But as I think over what he told me…I'm becoming unsure."

"I believe you would be an excellent Boss. Sure the work may be tough and you might have to make the most difficult choices. But, I don't doubt for a second that you would be unable to do it. I mean look at you! You're Ladybug! The bravest, kindest, sweetest hero. I have faith in you, Marinette."

She smiled at the encouragement, "But should I?"

"That's for you to decide." the kwami was right. It was ultimately her decision. It should've been an easy answer, but now…she didn't know. _I need more time._ She needed to know if she would be the right person to carry on Tsuna's legacy. "Now! I think it's time we try to get inside again. Don't want to fall asleep up here." Tikki giggled.

"Ha! Yeah, you're right."

"Mmhm!" the mini god twirled around and smiled at her.

"Oh, and Tikki," Marinette spoke with gentleness in her voice. "Thank you."

* * *

The whistling of the wind rang through the air. The rhythm of the rushing of people worked in harmony to create a heart-wrenching melody. The sky was dark and clouded. Not even a glimmer of the moon showed through. The only thing lighting up the sky were strikes of lighting. Standing flush against a building was a woman staring out at the dark world around her. She had long raven hair and wore a grey trench coat. Her emerald eyes gleamed with mischief and malicious. In her ear was a tiny black Bluetooth earpiece. Hanging around her neck was a large camera.

"Vongola has that dirtbag, Alexander," she informed the person on the other end. "Right after we bailed out his sorry ass too."

When the other person spoke, they had a deep computerized voice. "Perfect. Everything is going according to schedule."

The woman smirked, "Decimo even came to the hospital to visit his _niece_." she emphasized the word and huffed. "I could've ended it right there. All this watching and waiting bullshit would've been over. Both of them were in my grasp!"

"You know your orders."

The woman sighed but did not challenge the person on the other side. Emerald orbs turned towards a building with the lights at the top still on. Standing at the edge of a balcony was a tiny French-Chinese girl. Her dark hair gleamed in the light. The woman lifted her camera and zoomed on her. It looked as though she was talking to someone. When the girl looked up, the woman snapped a few photos.

"Just keep your eye on our little bluebird." _Snap, Snap, Snap._ The lady caught a dozen or so pictures before the girl went inside. The lights turned off behind her. Pulled her camera down, she ran through the pictures. Cycling through them all, she landed on one where the girl was looking in her direction. She hadn't seen her, but the poor child had no clue she was there lying in wait.

"Rodger that, boss."

* * *

When Adrien woke up that morning, he was surprised. No Reborn in sight! It was a blessing from the heavens. Of course…it wasn't like he was scared of the child. Just…Oh, who was he kidding? Reborn was deadly. How was he still alive? He didn't know. He decided to get himself ready for the day. Not going to waste a second of peace. Plagg was cradling his cheese on his desk. The black cat was sound asleep. Most-likely dreaming of fields of cheese or something.

Poking the small god, Adrien roused him from his slumber, "Wake up, you can sleep in my pocket."

Plagg cracked a green eye and glared at Adrien. "But it's soo early!" he whined.

"Hmph, come on! It's not that early. As to oppose to when Reborn wakes me. Now that…is early." The creature groaned before floating up, still holding it's beloved cheese. Adrien pulled his usual white overshirt open and allowed the kwami to fly inside its usual spot. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. _Nathalie._

"Adrien, are you up yet?"

"Yeah! I'm up, just getting my stuff ready."

"Well, your breakfast is ready."

"Ok! I'll be out in a second."

The assistant left. He could hear her footsteps echo through the door as she walked away. He gazed out his big window. Ladybug had fixed the school and he was too preoccupied with Reborn to go out and see her. He wondered where she went. What happened to her? If he was lucky, he might find out today. He grabbed his bag and strutted out his ridiculously big room. He stepped into the empty vast halls of his house. Yes, house. Not a home. It was too empty, void of emotion to be considered a home. The atmosphere was always thick and cold. To be honest, he briefly wished that Reborn was there again. The crazy infant brightened up everything when he was here. Yes, his methods were…Spartan-like but he made this empty house shine like…the sun! It was like he was a walking, talking, _evil_ sun. So full of life…even if it seemed like he was going to kill him any second. _Oh, the irony._

Adrien made his way down the stairs and to the dining hall. He looked at the table and saw his food ready for him. Not wasting an ounce of time, he rushed to his seat and ate like no tomorrow. A mini habit he grew from Reborn's presence.

"Ah-em." He stopped his assault on the healthy meal and looked at the assistant. "Your schedule." she handed him a sheet of paper, filled with colored charts and timelines.

That's when he noticed something. His fencing instructor. Usually, Nathalie placed the name of his teacher(s) on the sheet. But today, there was a name in the place of his fencing teacher's.

 _Yamamoto Takeshi. I wonder who that is?_

"Who's Yamameto Takeshye?" he completely butchered the name.

The assistant either ignored the fact he most-likely said the name wrong or didn't know the right way to say it either.

"He's a Japanese swordsman from Italy, who's agreed to teach you. Your usual trainer has taken a sudden vacation." he heard the small irritation in her voice. "That being said, treat him with respect. He is a very influential man. He works directly for the Boss of Vongola Industries. He took his time out of his busy schedule to teach you. Please don't misbehave. Your Father thinks this will be a valuable experience."

 _"I'm going to have someone, from Italy, come and teach you swordsmanship."_

This was likely to be that person Reborn was talking about. Adrien shivered at the thought. _What if he was as evil as Reborn? Sadistic and cruel?_ Then he thought of the fact that this new guy works for the boss of Vongola. Sawada Tsunayoshi. In the news and media, Monsieur Sawada was always portrayed as a kind and caring man. It seemed unthinkable for a guy like that to have someone _evil_ near him. Though, it was strange that a swordsman worked for him. Very strange. Not that he minded. He had a small god sleeping in his over shirt after all. He was used to strange.

 _Still, why would a big company Boss have a swordsman working directly for him? Bodyguard maybe?_

Adrien wondered how this Yamamoto would look and teach. Would he be an ugly, carefree guy or a strict, good-looking professional? Would he treat him like a child and go easy on him or be like his father with high expectations? And how….how was he connected to Reborn? If he was _. Which he most likely is. This is much too big of a coincidence for him not to be._ There really was only one way to find out.

Soon breakfast was complete and he was escorted from his house to school. The trip didn't take too long. The usual car pulled up to the front entrance. Where his best friend awaited him. As per usual. Adrien exited the vehicle. He bid goodbye to his bodyguard before greeting his friend. Waving, he walked over to Nino.

"Hey man!" Nino clapped his hand into his own and the two shared a brief hug. "I'm kind of upset Ladybug fixed the school so soon."

"Soon? It's only been a couple of weeks." Adrien laughed.

"That's the thing. It was still not enough! I think I need a month off. Or better yet a year." the dark male joked.

"That'll be the day."

The two chuckled to themselves and entered through the front doors. The duo laughed and made small conversation. They passed Marinette's Locker and something caught Adrien's eye.

It was Marcos. He was there, looking shyly as he talked to Marinette. Her face was dusted with a light pink. A bright smile plastered on her face. Seeing him, made him remember the orange flames, the screams, and the fight that had occurred. His stomach coiled. Adrien didn't like this icky feeling he was experiencing. It was painful. It seemed to be a mix of anger and hatred. Of course, he had no reason to feel such things. Marcos was a nice guy. He just became upset and got akumatized. No big deal. Happens all the time around here. Well. Maybe it was the fact that Marinette had gotten hurt in the process. The feeling stabbed through his chest non-stop. _What is this?_ It was suffocating. Like he was drowning or choking on air. He didn't even notice how harsh and shallow his breathing became. He hadn't even heard Nino. The music lover's words faded in the background as he looked at the two.

"I'm really sorry about…yeah. I heard what happened and…well…" Marcos stuttered.

"No, no it's fine. It's common around here." the baker's daughter sweetly reassured him.

"It shouldn't be. You got hurt and it's all my fault. I should've controlled my emotions better. I knew it would be dangerous, living here with extreme emotions."

"It's alright, everyone goes through it."

"I don't want to see it happen to you though. If he breaks your heart, you can always come to me. I don't mind being a backup."

Marinette shook her head and hands. Waving his notion away with a tiny laugh, she exclaimed, "No! You should find yourself someone better. Way better than me! You deserve as much."

"Ahaha! Better than you? There is no such being. But seriously, if he doesn't see what a beautiful and amazing person you are, then he is utterly blind." Adrien saw Marinette face turn a darker shade of red. _How cute._

"Marcos!" she whined.

"What?! I'm just kidding."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "You're something else."

The Brazilian laughed, "I guess. But in all seriousness, Marinette if you ever need someone to talk to…I'm here."

"Thank you…but like I said, find someone worthy of you. You're a great guy, Marcos. You deserve someone who will love you just as much."

"Thank you, Marinette." The two stared at each other. Silently talking, but smiling. Adrien didn't understand why he had the urge to march over there and interrupt their eye conversation. Or the urge to pull Marinette away from Marcos. He couldn't for the life of him fathom why he thought of the Brazilian to be a threat now. The boy wasn't Akumatized anymore, the city was safe. He had no reason to feel how he felt. But deep down he knew this feeling was the burning fire of jealousy. He knew was that it was wrong to have such negatives emotions towards a classmate. So, the boy pushed it down and labeled the reasoning behind it as the player's ability to converse freely and easily with Marinette. It seemed everyone was great at making friends with her than him.

"-Bro?"

The model snapped his head away and looked at his friend. The teen was studying his face carefully. He breathed. Really to pull out his award-winning smile. The fake smile that concealed all. Hardening his eyes, as to make sure not to show any evidence of the foul unknown emotion he's going through.

"Yeah?"

"You alright? You seemed to be staring at something," Nino smirked and looked over at Marinette before looking back at Adrien, "or someone?"

"No, I'm just tired. I sort of zoned out. Lots of Photoshoots lately." he lied.

Nino rolled his eyes. "Yeah…you were totally zoned out…and into Marinette."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." and he didn't. Sort of?

"Uh-huh." Nino obviously didn't believe his excuse.

"I don't."

"Yep."

Adrien pouted and he felt his eyes wandering back to Marinette. Before he stopped himself. He didn't want to prove Nino right. He wasn't staring at Marinette. Just being watchful. She was getting involved with too many Akuma attacks lately. It scared him. She was the sweet girl who stood up for people with confidence. Of course, she got tongue-tied around him a lot. _What is with that anyway?_

The model carried on with his day, going through each lesson so automatically that it was like he was a robot. The stabbing feeling finally faded away and he felt back in control of his emotions. No more confusing anger. No more twisting guts or feelings of drowning. It felt good. Even better when he heard Alya talk about Ladybug theories. To his surprise, she didn't even mention that last fight. No one did. It felt like a sore spot for anyone who saw it. It wasn't every day, you hear the sweet and cute Marinette scream out in pain and defeat a villain. The reminder made him shiver.

He longed to forget it ever happened, but some part of him held onto the memory. As if he was trying to forcefully remind himself what happens when he doesn't pull through as a hero. Or a friend. Had he just threw away the worry that others and eventually his father would know his identity, he could've prevented Marinette from ending up in the hospital. But no. He didn't. Something he deeply regretted. _Maybe I do need Reborn's training. I am practically useless._

Adrien sighed as he walked to the last class before fencing. He barely paid attention and just let his feet walk. He didn't even notice anyone calling out to him until a hand was on his shoulder. Startled, he whipped his head around and saw the familiar Brazilian.

"H-Hey man." the other stuttered and he felt the threat was still there.

He just stared at him, "Hey…"

"Okay look. I'm sorry." Marcos apologized.

 _What?_ "Why? It's okay, that's common around here," he reassured him.

"I know…but that's not it. I'm sorry how rash I was acting. I just go so…jealous that I couldn't think straight. I should've never acted that way towards you."

Adrien smiled at the apology. The threat fading away, thankfully. "It's ok, Marcos. You're only human. And sometimes we let our emotions get to us."

"Yeah, sad how they can turn us into literal monsters now." the Brazilian looked down. "I'm sorry if I did anything while I was like…that."

The model shook his head. "It's fine. I just hope that we're still friends?"

Marcos smiled, "Yeah, as long as you still want to hang with me." he stuck his hand out to shake.

"I would be honored." Adrien grinned before shaking his hand.

The two grinned before the bell cut their moment off. Adrien was glad to have mended things with the foreigner. Of course, he didn't think there was anything to mend, but to Marcos there obviously was. He was also glad that the feelings of Marcos being a threat had faded. It wasn't right for him to feel such things since the boy wasn't akumatized anymore. Soon they began to part ways with a suggestion to hang out sometime later. A suggestion, not a promise. He couldn't promise something that is likely to break with his schedule. However, before Adrien could get to his class he was stopped.

"Hey, Adrien…How good is your eyesight?"

Adrien slowly replied looking a bit baffled. "My eyesight? Um…it's 20/20 I believe, why?"

Marcos grinned and shook his head, "No reason, just curious." The Brazilian continued on his way before disappearing around the nearest corner.

That confused Adrien greatly. _What weird question to ask_.

* * *

 **Ciao-su~**


	11. Rain Guardian

**Disclaimer: Each of these shows (and manga. In KHR case.) belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Rain Guardian**

* * *

It was nearing the time for his fencing practices. Adrien could say for sure that he was nervous. Whoever this person was, they knew Reborn to some extent. It was frightening. _I wonder where that baby went. Maybe he went back to Marinette's._ When the time came, he hurriedly dressed in the usual white suit with a mask. Adrien left the locker room and heard laughter. His head snapped up and he saw a tall man dressed in a black suit with shiny black dress shoes. He had a blue dress shirt under his jacket. A black tie with a golden pin on it.

He had a mature look to him. To Adrien's surprise, he was actually good-looking. Even with the scar on his chin that stood out. He had short black hair and his eyes were sharp but soft at the same time. The man was holding a wooden sword on his shoulder. He was seemed to be talking to someone. But Adrien's peers were surrounding him and blocking his view. Adrien made his way up to the circle of people and politely pushed his way through. He heard the man laugh along with small _cute_ laughter. It reminded him of the small bells of Notre Dame. He saw a sliver of dark blue before he broke through the crowd. Standing in front of him was Marinette. She was smiling up at the man with stars in her eyes and a small blush on her cheeks. That expression looked familiar.

"Oh? So you're the one Reborn's also training?" the man asked, his voice heavily accented and deep but musical.

Marinette looked at him and he felt his breath get caught in his throat. _What's wrong with me!?_ Realizing that the man had addressed him, he shook the feeling to answer [well tried to].

"Well…I wouldn't call it training. But you know Reborn?"

"Yeah! He was Tsuna's tutor!"

Adrien belched _._ Did he mean Tsunayoshi? His boss? How could such a cruel child teach a nice man?! _No, maybe he meant a different person?_

"Wait…R-Reborn's t-t-training you!?" Marinette asked, her voice filled with worry and… _fear? Does she know how he 'trains' people?_

"Well, like I said, I don't really consider it training…" _More like Torture._

He saw her place a hand over her mouth and look away. She seemed fearful. Her face pale. Maybe she had known how the infant trained people. His mind flashed the images from the last Akuma attack and he froze. The way she fought off the Akuma…maybe she was being trained by Reborn. That was the only explanation.

"So, I'm sure you know, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi or Takeshi Yamamoto. I'm your substitute for the day." his peers seemed excited, but he was just nervous.

Marinette quickly looked at the older male. Her face scrunched up in an irritated expression. "Takeshi! No! Don't tell me that Reborn's trying to pull him-them!-into this!?" _Into what?_

"He might as well be. Reborn's set on training him. Of course, it's ultimately up to you, if he gets fully involved." Adrien wondered, confused. _How could it be up to Marinette? What is she talking about?_ The questions filled his mind.

"Well then, I won't allow it!"

"Ok…but he still needs to be ready. Something has come up. It seems information _had_ been leaked."

Marinette stilled and turned her gaze to the ground. He noticed her tremble. There was a sudden urge to go over and hug her. Comfort her in any way possible. Even if he didn't know what they meant. The taller male placed his hand on the designer's shoulder, leaned down, and whispered in her ear. He picked up fragments of the sentence.

"Later….-k….Tsuna…worried…"

The girl didn't respond but just nodded in acknowledgment. Takeshi smiled at her and winked. Adrien saw a blush flash on Marinette's face before she pouted. His eyes were drawn down to her pink lips. He wondered if they felt as soft as they looked- _Wait!? What the hell am I thinking?! This is Marinette, not Ladybug! Get it together Adrien!_

"So! Let's get started! Adrien, You're up first!"

Marinette's protests went unheard as Adrien stepped forward. The others moved, to create space for him and the substitute. Placing his fencing helmet on, he got himself in his usual posture and held his foil up.

"Ooh! Fancy!" Takeshi laughed, startling him a bit.

 _Who laughs at someone's form? This is just how-_

Before he could finish that train of thought, there was a blur and he felt a tap on the back of his helmet. _How in the world!?_ Looking behind him, he saw Takeshi smiling down at him, his wooden sword lightly placed on his head.

"H-How-?"

"For starters, that posture leaves you wide open. Try this."

Adrien couldn't understand how fast the older male got behind him. He had considered himself light on his feet and a tad faster than some of his fellow fencers, since he was Chat Noir. But this man…. _Just what is he!?_

* * *

Marinette was fuming. She set it in her mind to find that baby/man and give him a piece of her mind. _Do you have a death wish?_ A little doubt in her mind yelled at her. Challenging Reborn? That didn't go so well last time.

It was great to see Takeshi again though. Although a bit embarrassing as well. He was always her second favorite out of Tsuna's friends. The 1st being a quiet, handsome discipliner. She remembered her younger days. When Tsuna visited, he would bring at least two of his friends. And they would play games with her. The super embarrassing thing was…she used to crush on the older man as a child. He reminded her of a Prince. So sweet and kind. Always full of laughter. As a child, she would beg Tsuna and Takeshi to play a princess-type game with her. With a princess, prince, king, and dragon. Of course, she was the Princess, but Tsuna was always the King and Takeshi the Prince, who would save her from the evil dragon.

 _-Flash Back-_

 _"Don't worry, Hime-sama! I will save you!" Takeshi playfully shouted._

 _He stood with his bamboo sword held up to the 'evil' dragon. The dragon was another man. He stood just as tall as Takeshi. His hair was white and shaped like an octopus. He had paper wings taped to his back. And a paper tail taped to his butt._

 _"Why am I the fucking Dragon!?"_

 _"Hayato! Language!" Tsuna scolded._

 _"Gomen Juudiame!"_

 _Marinette stood on a mini bar stool and pretended to be in a tall tower. A pink tiara placed on her head along with a frilly pink dress. It was fairly new._

 _She laughed before beginning her act, "Oh no! Pwince Takeshee! Sawe me!" the little princess giggled._

 _Prince Takeshi chuckled before leaping at the Evil Dragon. Said dragon threw fire at him in the form of weird candles. The Prince gracefully sliced the candles in half. His bamboo sword turned shiny and real._

 _"Hayato! Takeshi! What did I say about using the weapons that way!" Tsuna scolded them._

 _"Haha! Gomen Tsuna!" Takeshi laughed._

 _Hayato grumbled but apologized and put his weird candles away. Marinette giggled before keeping up her act of being the damsel in distress. Luckily for her, her Prince 'defeated' the dragon. He walked over to her and scooped her up. They twirled around and laughed._

 _"Yay! You sawe me! Now we can get Mawied!" the little princess giggled happily._

 _Takeshi just laughed, while Tsuna and Hayato looked tired._

 _-End-_

The secret heroine blushed at the memory and shook her head. She had a new prince nowadays. A prince who fit her perfectly. Who was perfect. She sighed. Watching Adrien and his peers go through the lesson. A large firm hand placed itself on her shoulder and she jumped. Her head snapped at the person and froze. A male with an eerily familiar black fedora and suit stood next to her. Her expression morphed to one of strong disdain.

"Reborn…" she groaned in irritation.

"Hello to you too, Dami-Mari. Come, We need to talk." He strolled away. Marinette rolled her eyes and stood up. Her legs moved and she found herself walking right behind him. She was too irritated to notice someone had seen her leave with Reborn.

Their footsteps echoed in the quiet halls as they drew away from the crowds. The tension was growing in the air as Marinette thought about what they needed to speak about. She feared that something may have happened. _What if…Tsuna-_ She shook her head. No, that wasn't a possibility. She refused to believe that. They stopped walking and Reborn turned to face her. He wore an unreadable expression. But by the look in his eye, she could tell that whatever this was. It was serious.

"So…what is it that we need to talk about?" Marinette, feeling uneasy, questioned.

"There is a high-likely chance that you will become targeted." he bluntly stated.

"Targeted!?" the heroine freaked out. _Targeted!? But how!? I didn't tell anyone!_

"The man you caught was given information by an unknown individual. They had pictures of you and Tsuna." the man answered her mental question. "So that's why we'll start gathering your guardians."

"Guardians?" she inquired.

"Yes. People who you trust more than anyone. They will stick by you and protect you and the Famiglia at all costs."

"But there's no one I know who would jump into battle…except…well." It was wrong to drag others into this Mafia world. It was her problem, not theirs. But still, many people came to her mind. Her parents, Alya, Chat… _Chat…I trust him with my life every day._

"Then Chat will be the first." the adult stated.

Marinette shook her head in disagreement, "No! I can't do that!"

"Dame-Mari, it's either this. Or Vongola relocates you and your family until we find the source," he informed her.

 _Relocate?_ "How long would that take?"

Reborn shrugged his shoulders. "Days…Months. Or even years. One can never be certain."

She couldn't just uproot her family and leave. What about her friends? Her dreams? Paris was her home! Her life! What about being Ladybug? Hadn't she sworn to protect her city? She couldn't just leave. But she didn't want to drag anyone else into this. Besides, who would protect her friends? What if those who found out came and did something to them? She didn't want to just leave them behind. She couldn't.

"I can't just leave. I have responsibilities here! Is there another way?" Reborn shook his head.

"No, this is necessary, for your safety. It's either this or relocation." he laid the bottom line out.

Marinette gritted her teeth before sighing, "I have no choice, do I?"

"You do, you just don't like the options."

"Because they're unfair! Anyone near me would be in danger! And I haven't even decided if I want to be a Mafia Boss!" she shouted rather loudly, which she soon came to regret.

"Marinette?"

* * *

Sitting on the bleachers, a boy in a red cap watched as Marinette was dragged away by a mysterious man. He seemed to be the only one to notice. Not knowing who this man was and fearing the worst for the girl, the boy got up from his seat and walked in the direction the duo went. He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one saw him and connected the dots. He continued on his way. The voices of them talking were getting louder as he drew closer.

He came upon them and noticed Marinette arguing with the grown man. The teen quickly hid behind the wall and listened in. What they were arguing about sounded extremely important. The man was tall and wore an expensive black suit. He had a yellow dress shirt with a black tie. Upon his head a was a black and yellow fedora. His gaze was cold and calculating. The oddest thing about him was the curly sideburns. It was…strange. Familiar even. _Where have I seen him?_

The strange man crossed his arms and stared Marinette down. "Dame-Mari, it's either this. Or Vongola relocates you and your family until we find the source," he informed her.

The hidden teen nearly gasped out loud. Why would Vongola-the largest corporate chain-need to relocate Marinette? Could it even do that? _How does she have ties to the company?_ He knew that Marinette's family owned a very successful bakery, but nothing about it said that I had ties to Vongola. It wasn't Vongola owned or even in partnership with it. _What's going on?_

"How long is that going to take?" _She's not seriously thinking of leaving. Is she?_

The man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Days…Months. Or even years. One can never be certain."

"I can't just leave. I have responsibilities here! Is there another way?"

The strange man shook his head. "No, this is necessary, for your safety. It's either this or relocation."

Marinette tensed up before her shoulder's sagged and she sighed, "I have no choice, do I?"

"You do, you just don't like the options," he stated.

"Because they're unfair! Anyone near me would be in danger! And I haven't decided if I want to be a _Mafia Boss_!" she shouted and stomped her foot.

 _Mafia boss!? Marinette!?_ He felt his brain short circuit. He couldn't imagine sweet little Marinette being a big bag criminal. Shooting first and asking questions later. Dealing in drugs, people, and blackmail…it wasn't her scene. Or so he thought. Deciding to get to the bottom of things, the boy stepped out of his hiding place and revealed himself.

"Marinette?" he spoke out. The girl whipped around and stared at him. Her eyes dilated in horror. Her face went paler than a sheet of white copy paper.

"Nino!?"

The boy, Nino, just stared at her and the stranger. "You…You are a Mafia Boss?"

He saw her freeze. The girl stepped back and let out a nervous laugh, "Wh-what are you talking about Nino?"

Nino took a step forward and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "I heard you! You're a Mafia boss?! How come you didn't say anything?"

The girl's eyes flickered from side to side. Looking for a way out. "Nino! I…I'm not-"

"Not yet. She's training." the tall slender man interrupted.

"Reborn!...well yeah…I'm...a soon-to-be. But it's not like I want to! It's not exactly something you broadcast about. Plus too dangerous for anyone to get involved.." she hurried through her explanation/excuse.

"But…do-don't you trust us? Me?" the aspiring director and side DJ felt saddened. _She can trust me not to say anything. I mean…seriously._

"I do! I'm just…..I'm scared I'll lose you guys because of this." the designer looked down at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Nino couldn't help it. He broke into laughter. Shocking and confusing the designer. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lose us? You won't lose us, Marinette. Well, at the very least, not me!" he smiled at her. "You can trust me. I won't tell anyone about it. Besides, I don't want to die too soon." he joked.

* * *

Marinette suddenly felt calmer when Nino placed his hand on her shoulder. It was like how Takeshi used to pet her head as a child to calm her down when she was too excited. Or if it was her bedtime. _Nino._ The boy now knew her little secret. Well, second secret. The second most dangerous one-maybe border lining first? And he didn't run away in disgust or looked at her in fear. She had imagined how this would go down if someone found out. The hatred and how Vongola would be exposed which would cause her Uncle a lot of trouble. His words sounded so sincere, though. He made her feel a lot calmer than she was before. How he did it? She had no idea.

Reborn hummed, sounding extremely mischievous, "It seems like we've found our very first guardian."

"What?" Nino questioned.

Marinette groaned and placed her hands on her head, "Oh no! Reborn! Don't-"

Reborn cut her off and continued. "Nino Lahiffe, How would you like to be Marinette's Rain guardian?"

"What? I don't understand."

Before Marinette could stop Reborn, he interrupted her yet again. "The Rain Guardian is the one that washes the Sky's problems away. He must never run dry. So to speak."

"The Sky's?" Nino looked over at her before turning back to Reborn, "You mean Marinette?"

"Yes, she is the Guardian of the Sky and Heir to Vongola," Reborn explained.

A look of confusion passed over Nino's face. "Vongola?! The Company? But I thought she was a Mafia Boss?"

"Well-" the girl squeaked sheepishly.

"So what do you say?" Reborn purposely ignoring his question.

"Well…" he hesitated, "I don't mind. It sort of sounds cool, to be honest."

Marinette gasped, "Nino! You don't have to! It's too-"

"Dangerous? As many Akumas that happen around here, this will be nothing! Don't worry about it, Mari! I've got your back."

"I like the sound of that. Well then, here you go." Reborn let Leon crawl on his hand. Marinette's heart nearly stopped, until the reptile turned into a large jewelry box. _Why would he need that?_ Reborn reached over and opened the box. Inside there was a set of 7 rings. They were sparkling silver and all had some sort of design. They were thick looking rings. _Like those male rings, I saw in an ad once!_ They all had clear spheres over the gems. It was strange. The one in the center caught her eye. It was slightly smaller. More feminine. It had the word 'Vongola Undicesima' carved around the center of the ring. It had an orange gem in the middle with a faint image in it. It was a ladybug.

The hitman pulled out the ring she was staring at and another. The other was that same shape of the ring she stared at but larger. And carved into it were the words 'Rain Guardian' around a blue gem. There was a faint image of a raindrop in the gem.

"Hold out your hands." the tutor ordered.

Nino held out his hand and so did Marinette. Reborn smirked. Letting Leon turn back, he grabbed Marinette's outstretched left hand and slipped the orange ring on her middle finger. The action made her blush lightly before remembering that this was Reborn… _No need to blush over a sadist._ Now having a closer look, she saw a Roman numeral one on one side and a Roman numeral ten on the other side of the ring. Reborn suddenly turned her hand over and placed the other ring in her hand. She looked confused.

"What am I suppose to do with this?"

"Give it to your guardian, Dame-Mari." Reborn let go of her hand and reached for Leon, prepared to shoot her for asking a 'dumb question'.

 _Oh no!_ "Alright!" the heroine turned to Nino, who smirked at her. His hand still outstretched. Following the same actions Reborn did, she grabbed his hand, ready to slip the ring on. Blushing profusely.

"Wow Marinette, I didn't think you'd propose like this? I can't accept your feelings though, I have someone else in my heart now." Nino dramatically placed his hand on his heart.

Marinette laughed, feeling at ease again. "Oh you mean Alya?" she smirked at his blush.

"I-I uh…I don't know what you-"

"Don't even try to lie, Nino." the boy just pouted before blushing even more. Laughing, she slipped the ring on his middle finger and pulled away. Nino lifted his hand and inspected the ring. He smiled. "So I'm officially a guardian now?" he asked the _crazy_ hitman.

Reborn smirked, "Yes and no. Those are just Temporary Vongola rings. For training purposes and to show who you are. You'll get the real rings during the Inheritance Ceremony."

"Inheritance Ceremony?" Marinette questioned. _There's a ceremony? When will that be?_

"It'll happen a few years from now when you're ready to take on the Famiglia and the Company. There will be two."

"Oh." That sounded exhausting to hear. Two ceremonies. One for the underworld and the other for the public.

"Well, now that I know you're my boss. What should I call you? Ma'am? Boss?" he questioned with a grin.

"Just Marinette will be fine, Nino." Marinette laughed at Nino's silliness.

"But during meetings and other gatherings involving the Famiglia or the company, you will call her Undicesima." Reborn strictly stated.

Nino laughed before nodding his head, "Alright!"

"Also, Do _NOT_ lose those rings. Don't take them off, if you have the tendency to lose things." The hitman ordered, receiving a nod from both teens. "And watch out for dangerous people. Like I was saying before, we have a _slight_ situation."

* * *

Exhausted. That was the word Adrien would use to describe how he felt right now. They went for hours trying to land a hit on Takeshi. The other just kept smiling and teaching them-mostly Adrien-some pointers. Some things countered the things he was told during fencing. Others were just a distorted version of it. Most were completely different. Not to say he wasn't impressed by the Substitute. He was fast and skilled. Very skilled. But also super kind and patient. Really easy-going. It was just that he was too tired to go on any further. His eyes wandered to where Nino was and didn't see him there.

 _Huh? Where did he go? I swore he was there a minute ago? Or was it 30 minutes ago?_

He remembered Marinette and looked to where she was last standing and didn't see her either. He wasn't surprised by her absence as much as Nino's. The boy sometimes waited for him to finish, so they could hang out. _Maybe he had something else to do_.

Just then, out of the hall, came Nino and Marinette followed by a man who looked eerily similar to a crazy infant he knew _. Is that Reborn's Father?! Oh no! I lost him! What if he knows?!_ The man looked at him and smirked _._ A shiver ran down his spine ( _that's where he gets it)_ , He could tell that the man knew. Adrien tried to calm himself down and look casual as the three walked over to him.

"Takeshi, Let's give the victi-kids…the kids a break." _He totally almost said victims…_

"Reborn! Oh? Maa- Alright! Sorry guys! We'll continue this next time!" the others tried to look sad but Adrien could tell they were happy. The Asian man wasn't that easy on any of them. _Wait…did he call him Reborn!? What?_ Adrien watched Takeshi walked over to the trio and smile at Nino. "So you're the new addition?"

Nino's eyes widen and he looked over at Marinette. "Does he-?" she nodded and his mouth open in a silent "oh". The teen looked back up at him and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Takeshi laughed carefree like before his expression became serious. "Protect her well."

Marinette blushed and pouted. Adrien found his eyes wondering to the puffed up lips. He realized his action and his face flushed. Quickly, he shook the strange thoughts that entered his mind. _Marinette's just a friend._ A totally adorable, kind-hearted friend that was making him think weird. And that was it. Nino's salute fell and he stared blankly before smirking proudly. A serious gleam in his eye, something completely foreign to Adrien. He had never seen such a serious look in his friend's eyes.

"Of course. I won't let anything happen to her!" he proclaimed.

His best friend wrapped his arm around Marinette's shoulders and pulled her in. Rubbing his fist on her head as she laughed. That's when Adrien noticed it. The ring on his friend's hand. It was a bit large but seemed to fit him. It was silver and had a blue gem. He thought he saw something carved in it, but he couldn't read it from here. The gem had a clear cover over it. As if to protect it. Marinette shook her head and pushed Nino away. To his utter shock and surprise, she had a similar ring on. The only difference was the color. It was orange. He felt his stomach lurch at the color. That color brought warm, weird flames, and pain from his classmate. He wondered if Ladybug knew of the flames. She used hers once but she was fine. Maybe she knew and had practice with them.

 _Why do they have weird matching rings….wait don't tell me….I thought he liked Alya now!_ He felt that weird icky feeling in his chest again. Adrien strolled towards them, trying not to jump to conclusions. "Hey Nino, Hey Marinette."

They froze. Nino was the first to recover, he smiled and waved at him. Marinette took longer. She stared at him for a while before a blush covered her face. She stammered a greeting. Adrien just smiled at her. _Cute…wait! What?!...well I guess she is. It's not weird thinking a FRIEND is cute._ He had no idea why he felt the need to emphasize 'friend' in his mind.

Deciding to change the subject, he asked about the rings. "So, where did you guys get those rings? They look pretty cool."

Adrien saw them both pale. Nino gulped before answering him. "It was….they are….a gift."

"A gift! Yes, a gift from my grandmother…" Marinette added in a hurry.

"Her grandma."

"Yep!" they answered in unison.

"Oh?" It wasn't hard to see that they were lying.

Why were they? That was what he wanted to find out. _If Nino still likes Marinette, he should just say._ At the thought of the possibility that they were dating made his heart clench. _I mean, friends have matching necklaces and bracelets. Why not rings? They're nothing different._ He reasoned with himself.

"So who's this?" he gestured to the man. He refused to think it was Reborn. It was crazy. Reborn was an infant, not a grown man.

"O-oh?! This…um…This is the Father of a kid I babysit! Ahaha Yes!" Marinette stuttered out. "Speaking of, my family told me you looked…after Reborn.

The man just smirked in response. Adrien thought he saw a flash of green on the adult's shoulder but shrugged it away. He put on his politest smile and reached his hand out to shake the others. "It's a pleasure to meet you Monsieur…" He trailed off.

"Renatus. Mr. Renatus." the man shook his hand.

"Monsieur Renatus." Adrien finished.

The man just smirked before pulling away. "Takeshi, you should go harder on this D-..young man. I'm sure he'll need it." _What?!_

"Oh, he will need it." Takeshi nodded his head,

"Takeshi!" Marinette cried out in protest.

"Haha! Calm down, Mari-chan." Takeshi and Nino laughed while Marinette pouted. Adrien felt a tug at his heart again. He just smiled at the four. His thoughts drifted back to how the school was fixed and how he missed Ladybug. _Damn it Reborn! If only I hadn't been too preoccupied._ The temperature dropped and the air became tense for some _odd_ reason…

* * *

 **Ciao-su~**

 **Edited: 3-26-18**


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